American Handgunner May/June 1979

Transcription

:
THE AMERICAN
MA
vI JUNE 1979 $2.00
gRAN GUNNER
u
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OUTSTANDI
N
N
E
R
£ul.uawel
GUN DESIGNS of
TOMORROW from
WINTER ARMS
DEVEL9mm
More than
Just a
MINI-GUN
ALOOKAT
M.A.B.
PISTOLS
I
05
a
Test Report
WICHITA SILHOUETTE PISTOL
67522 T&E
"PANCAKES"
ARE NOT ALL ALIKE!
FEATURES
ROY'S
BIANCHI
SAFARILAND
S&W
Price (2 & 3" Revolvers & Med. Autos.)
Plain (Manufacturer's Suggested LIst)
$19.95
?
?
?
Price (2 & 3" Revolvers & Med. Autos.)
Basketweave (Manufacturers Suggested Listl
$21.95
?
?
?
Available for all handguns
All snap hardware
covered to protect bluing
Deep-set molded fit
3-slot belt option: FBI forward tilt, reg. draw in
upright position or upright cross-draw position
5-slot belt option for barrel
lengths above 5"
Choice of 4/colors, 2/finishes
Available without thumb break
Available with integral
cartridge loops or clip pouch
The above prices are the suggested list or retail prices published by Roy's Custom
Leather Goods, Inc. and only serve as a guide for making price comparisons. Naturally, actual retail prices may vary at the discretion of individual dealers. Information
for the above comparison is on file at Roy's Custom Leather Goods, Inc. and is
available upon request.
Make Your Own Comparison!
Don't take our word for it. Compare ours with their
concealment holster and you'll buy Roy's Original
"Pancake"@ Holster. Not only do we have the
features and quality, but probably the best
prices as well. There's only one genuine
"Pancake"@ Holster ... all others are simply
"Johnny-come-Iatelys" who just recognize
a good thing. Our only business is holsters
and we make them right here in Arkansas
like you want them.
For innovative ideas in holsters and professional equipment, see your dealer or
write for our FREE catalog today. Dealers
Inquire.
~S
....01
v./
OPI.
.t,,~
'"~,
PAMCAKE®
HOLS,.ERS
............
~
Roy's Custom Leathe Goods, Inc.
PO. Box 852/ Magnolia, Arkansas 71753/ Phone: (501) 234-1566
Prepared by Bear Advertising. Inc.. Hollywood, CA.
•
3
R
MAY/JUNE, 1979
Vol. 4
GEORGE E. VON ROSEN
Publisher
No. 3-16
FEATURES
A DAY AT COLTS, Donald M. Simmons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE DEVEL
NOT JUST ANOTHER MINI-GUN, J. D. Jones
WICHITA'S UNLIMITED, Jack Jason
THE CHAPMAN ACADEMY, Rick Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TOMORROWS HANDGUN DESIGNS TODAY, James D. Mason
GUNS & GEAR AT IPSC, Rick Miller.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
THE MAB. PISTOLS, Michel H. Josserand . .
.
TRAINING FOR PRIVATE POLICE, Massad Ayoob
22
24
28
32
36
42
44
48
DEPARTMENTS
INDUSTRY INSIDER, Jerome Rakusan
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
HANDLOADING, Dan Cotterman
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
COOPER'S COLUMN, Jeff Cooper..
SILUETAS, Phillip C. Briggs
. .. . .
. . .. .. .. . . .. .... . . .. ..
COP TALK, Massad Ayoob
CUSTOM SHOP, Evan P. Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR HANDGUN, J. B. Wood
HANDGUN HUNTING, George Bredsten ....
..... .. ...... .
SIGHT SETTINGS, Lucy Chambliss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
GEV8.9mm \
""'""''''1
.
Mll
Al"'' ' '
MIKI.GUrt
I'lST<lU
I
:111 1m ~~SlUMltlm£PlSfOl
This month's cover shows the excellent
designs from Handguns of Tomorrow by
Winter Arms. Story on page 36.
S'TAFF
6
10
13
14
18
35
51
60
64
JEROME RAKUSAN
Editorial Director
MIKE THILL
Managing Editor
KEVIN E STEELE
Associate Editor
SYDNEY BARKER
Art Director
FERNANDO M. MARTINEZ
Graphic Design
NICK POLCINO
Advertising Director
SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Marilyn Bramsen, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108 (714)
297-8523
1. A. VON ROSEN
EDITORIAL OFFICE: J. Rakusan, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108 (714) 297-5352
Production Director
NATIONALADV. OFFICES: 591 Camino de la Reina. Suite 200. San Diego. CA 92108 (714) 297-8520
WEST COAST ADV. REPS.. Media Sales Associates. P.O. Box 66906. Los Angeles, CA 90066 (213) 822-5566
EAST COAST ADV. REPS.: Buchmayr Associates, 19 Birch Rd .. Darien. Conn., 06820 (203) 655-1639
THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER is published bi-monthly by Publishers' Development Corp.• 591 Camino de la
Reina. San Diego, CA 92108 Second class postage paid at San Diego, CA92108 and at additional mailing offices.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 issues) $9.95. Single monthly copies $2.00. CHANGE OF ADDRESSES: Four weeks
notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. CONTRIBUTORS submitting manuscripts,
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postage. PAYMENT will be made at rates current at time of publication and will cover reproduction in any or all
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MagaZine editions. ADVERTISING RATES furnished on reques\. Reproduction or use of
any portion of this magazine in any manner, without written permission, is prohibited. All rights reserved. Title to this
publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to his address.
4
GLENNA EIDENMILLER
Advertising Production
RICHARD AYER
Advertising Representative
TERRY WILLIAMS
Circulation Director
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
There's a lot more
to CharterArms
than a .38 Special.
Target Bulldog .357
Mag., 4" barrel
Pathfinder .22LR,
or .22 Mag.,
3" barrel
When there's talk about Charter Arms, it's generally
talk about our Undercover .38 Spl., the smashing
snubbie that burst on the handgun scene back in 1968.
And, the Undercover deserved all the praise it earned
combining the cherished basics of design found in all
fine handguns with several daring and innovative new
ideas. As time went on, those ideas matured and we
utilized these proven and tested techniques and concepts as we expanded into other calibers.
Today all the qualities which bestowed leadership on
the Undercover .38 Spl. can now be found in a full family
of fine handguns, not only in a variety of calibers but
barrel lengths, finishes and grips.
When you walk into your dealer to buy a handgun,
look them all over. If he doesn't have a Charter Arms to
show you, ask him to contact his local distributor. Don't
buy some other handgun without looking at what
Charter Arms has to offer. You deserve the chance to
make a comparison and we have every confidence in
your decision.
Want to know more? Write for our full color illustrated
brochure and price list.
Charter Arms Corporation
475 Sniffens Lane, Stratford, Connecticut 06497
203377-8080
5
Indus:t!Y
Insider
JEROME RAKUSAN
S
Grab a
JaySCOtl,
ome recent announcements have
shown that in many respects, "Industry Insider's" batting average has
been right up there with crystal ball predictions.
We told you that S&W's Model 25 in
045 Long Colt would, after the Com-
be known as the 439 with aluminum
frame, the 539 in all steel configuration.
The fifteen-shot 9mm will likewise be
designated 459 for aluminum, 559 in steel
frame.
.
As we had told you, the safety has
been redesigned to prevent the gun going
anq~t
agrtpon
accuracy
Other than the trigger, the only
portion of your gun that you touch
is the grip ... and its size and shape
are crucial to how effectively and
accurately you shoot
Factory grips are fine, but they're
designed to be all things to all
shooters. Righties, lefties, big
hands, small hands. And unless
you have the "perfect average
hand," factory grips are not
designed for you.
Jay Scott Grips are designed for
you. For nearly every handgun on
the market, semi-auto or revolver,
target or combat, Jay Scott can
fit you and your gun for increased
effectiveness and accuracy.
Stop in your nearest dealer and
ask him about grips. Then grab a
Jay Scott, and get a grip on
accuracy.
Colt Firearms
150 Huyshope Ave.
Hartford. Conn. 06102
6
Here's the new 5 & W Model 629 in stainless with 6" barrel.
memoratives had run their course, be in- off when dropped, a problem that
troduced in a plain shootin' version. plagued the earlier Smith Parabellums. A
Smith & Wesson has just announced that hammer block will now lock the firing
we were right; the Model 25 in Long Colt pin, preventing such mishaps. The hamchambericg will be available in July of mer will no longer drop harmlessly via
1979. Price hasn't been announced but the safety, and will have to be let down
should be the same as the Model 25 in the manually on a live round, a la' the 1911.
traditional 045 ACP caliber (which, of At the same time, this will allow those
course, will be continued).
who don't care for the double-action first
We predicted that the Model 58 (the shot feature to carry Condition One, or
Military & Police fixed sight AI Mag- cocked-and-Iocked. The DA function
num) was likely to be dropped from the will of course be retained, and S&W will
Smith & Wesson line. It does not appear recommend this as the proper carrying
in the 1979 catalog.
mode for the new guns. Calibers other
This space was where you first read than 9mm. are not contemplated in the
about the coming "second generation" immediate future.
of S&W 9mms. We predicted steel
Early attempts at a fully adjustable
frames, ambidextrous safetief>, improved sight were met with breakage, so S&W
feeding, an improved safety, and en- designed a rugged unit that offers winhanced accuracy. Smith & Wesson has dage and elevation corrections (present
just announced that 1979 will be the last guns are adjustable for windage only). It
year of production for the Model 39 and is protected by wings that look bulkier
Model 59 pistols as we know them. Many than they really are. The prototype
of the features on the successor guns will Model 47 had improved lockup for
be what we described as being on the greater accuracy - the test guns apModel 47 prototype. The #47 designa- proached the famed Model 52 target pistion, incidentally, has been dropped.
tol, which has much better lockup than
Four guns will replace the two being the old 39/59 - but at this writing
discontinued. The eight shot version will
(Continued on page 8)
IHI
UNDIRllNING
ANSIIR
Model 254
Plain Lined $37.95
Basket Lined $40.95
8
5
QUESTIONS: What do I get for my money? What
am I paying for? Wouldn't brand "X" be just as good
4 - -.......foiI
and cost less?
Patented
1. LEATHER SELECTION:Selecting only the finest,
full grain hides from the tanner. (You can't make a silk
"---2
purse from a sow's ear).
7
2. STlTCHING:Tough, durable nylon cord, lockstitched for ultimate strength. (Did you know tannic
acid in leather deteriorates cotton or linen thread?).
3. SST-SAFARILAND SIGHT TRACK: Patented feature only
Safari land can offer. Vinyl channel protects sights of your gun.
4. MOLDING: 20 tons of pressure forces holster to exact
configuration of gun you wish to carry, assuring exact fit.
Patented
5. LINING: Guns are damaged by acid emitted by leather, especially
during hot humid days. Elk Suede lining eliminates this acid danger as well
as reduces slippage to almost zero.
6. SNAPS: Unique "Snap-Guard" precludes metal snap from contacting or scratching finish of gun.
7. REAR WRAP-AROUND: 254 Holster for large auto-loading pistols. Features Safariland's exclusive
Sight Track and Rear Wrap-Around & welted design for maximum strength.
8. JACKET SLOT: Belt Loop reinforced with 14 guage steel and double row stitched with nylon.
Design allows wearing jacket between holster & belt loop. Available only on 254 & 229.
All Models shown feature same high quality advantages & engineering designs for which Safari land is noted.
Prices shown are for lined holsters only, Plain or Basket. Cal. res. add 6% 10% shipping No C.O.D.
Send us $1.00 for our all new 100-page 1979 catalog.
Model 229
Plain Lined $35.95
Basket Lined $38.95
Model 29
Plain Lined $27.95
Basket Lined $29.95
Model 9
Plain Lined $36.50
Basket Lined $39.50
Model11A
Plain Lined $36.95
Basket Lined $39.95
Patented
Patented
Model10A
Plain Lined $30.55
Basket Lined $33.55
Patented
FROM THE COMPANY THAT CARES
~;~\I=~\I=lII_~\I'II:J
1941 S. Walker, Dept. D, Monrovia, CA. 91016
7
INDUSTRY INSIDER
(Continued from page 6)
(January 2, 1978) the factory would not
comment as to whether lockup systems
would be changed on the new 9mm.s.
Prices have not yet been announced, but
retail availability is targeted for
November, 1979.
One S&W introduction, we must admit, sneaked right by the crystal ball. It
is the stainless steel .44 Magnum, scheduled for late 1979 introduction and designated the Model 629. Price is not yet
fixed. Curiously, the first guns will be in
six-inch barrel lengths rather than the
traditional 6\12". You will see an 8:ji" version before you'll see a four-inch.
curity Six is soaring in the law enforcement sector, and the Super Blackhawk is
almost a standard item in production
class metallic silhouette shooting, a sport
that is growing by leaps and bounds.
What may be the best production planning in the industry has kept Ruger from
"Popularity of the Security Six
is soaring in the law
enforcement sector ..."
market shortage situations in years past,
he says, but consistently high quality
control in an industry where that attribute is slipping has increased demand for
Ruger handguns, which have also resisted inflationary price increases more
successfully than other big-name makes.
Over at Colt, meanwhile, the eightinch Python has become a reality in the
testing rooms but isn't quite ready for
marketing yet. Recoil is said to be
noticeably less than with a six-inch gun,
and accuracy, phenomenal. On a recent
African safari, a Colt executive took
several head of big game with one of the
long-tubed "snakes," and some members of the hunting party borrowed the
revolver for a camp-food foray.
There is no word yet from Colt on the
firing-pin-block safety for the 1911pattern autopistols, and the longpromised ambidextrous safety has also
been sidetracked. The only newies are
the black powder revolver line (which we
How d~S&W
th~ .44
one Mag
gct byhasus?been
~II,ru-a I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
stainless
mored since the company made their
first rust-resistant wheelgun in the Sixties, and the rumor had become so perennial we finally stopped asking our
"insiders" about it. A more controversial .44 Mag stainless story is that of the
Ruger. In a recent issue, Massad Ayoob
described Ruger's DA .44 prototype, and
mentioned that a source had told him
factory experiments indicated a bigger
frame might be needed for a stainless
Super Blackhawk, since that metal does
not wear or react to pressure exactly the
same as 4140 chrome-molybdenum steel.
The folks at Sturm, Ruger took exception to some of this, and in replying, gave
-Elmer Dayton, Manchester, Iowa
us a better idea of what the Ruger D.A .
.44 Magnum will offer. They said:
Thank you Elmer, we're pleased to know that our Sierra bullets are
"Although our engineers have made
going right where you want to put them. Of course, your skill definitely,
some preliminary studies and were conhas something to do with it too. But we do realize that having absolute
sidering a prototype Super Blackhawk
in both gun and bullets can give even the best shooter
confidence
revolver in stainless steel, no prototype
an extra "extra" edge that wins in competition and performs the way
has actually been made and no testing
you expect in the field. That's
has been done."
why everyone of the 91 different
Regarding the D.A . .44 Magnum, the
Ruger spokesman said: "Several protobullets we make ... handgun and
types of the new .44 Magnum doublerifle, target or hunting ... is
action revolver have been made and
designed, tested, manutested. Even though some minor design
factured, and inspected
details remain to be worked out, this
according to the highest
project is in the tooling and production
standards of performance
planning stage. Generally, this new reand accuracy. We believe
volver is based on an entirely new inter, that it's your goal too, or
nal mechanism - it is not a scaled up
you wouldn't be a handSecurity-Six revolver - and a new
der and you wouldn't be
cylinder/crane locking system. Ayoob's
loading with Sierra bullets.
statement that this design may be the
Please write w; for the 1979
basis for a new generation of SecuritySierra Catalog, Dept.AH
Six revolvers is generally true - however speculative - and our engineers are
considering this, although no work has
been done to date.
,'The big bore semi-automatic pistol
'~BulletsrJt~"TM
suggested by Ayoob is non-existent. At
present there are absolutely no plans for
W532-Soudi
'nter
Ave,
I ~ik:a~:;~'(r-'-'~7~-':~~~~j9
Santa~ S 'ngs,
Calif.
90670;
such a model, nor has it even been considered to my knowledge."
Ayoob also notes that Ruger guns are
getting harder for dealers to acquire, due
to wildfire demand. Popularity of the Se-
"Ilmow that I'D
shoot straight with
Sierra handgun
bullets:'
Sierra Bullets
8
told you about in this column in the
past), and the introduction of .22 Long
Rifle and .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum chamberings to the Colt Trooper
Mk. III.
Some changes are here in ammo, too.
Winchester announces the Silvertip line
of handgun bullets. The .45 ACP version,
for instance, supposedly gives expansion
equal to or better than hollowpoints, but
with a tough, round-nose configuration
that feeds through even unthroated pistols. We'll be testing it in these pages
soon.
An apology or at least an explanation
is in order to Winchester from Industry
Insider. A previous column stated that
Winchester was not yet producing ammunition for the Wildey Magnum pistols,
let alone the rumored million rounds.
This statement was quite correct at the
time the item was submitted to the
magazine, but by the time the publication
hit the newsstand, production of the
Wildey cartridges was, indeed, underway, and was perhaps close to that
million-round mark. If this caused Win-
Most gun companies very
"up-front" with news that
affects the consumer.
chester any embarrassment, we
apologize, and can only state that the
information was correct at the time of its
submission to the magazine.
".lkes DO differeDce
at 100,200 or 300 rants...
Sierra ahrap gives Dl8
ODeshot
I:'
-Allen Crirhan, Middleburg, Pennsylvania
Thanks Allen, we're always glad to hear our product is doing what
we design it to do. Not that we claim all the credit for one shot
performance and competition wins. We're just thankful we've got some
very fine shooters using our bullets. But your remarks bring up an
interesting point. We design and manufacture all Sierra bullets ...
handgun, target, and hunting ... with the same
dedication to accuracy. Hunting bullets are a
little different, though, because with them
we also consider how they'll perform
after impact; weight retention, penetration
and expansion, and so on. Our objective
is to give you one shot performance no
matter what game you're hunting.
That's why we're always especially
glad to hear first hand reports
from hunters of all kinds. Please
write us for the 1979 Sierra
Catalog, DeptAH
The Wildey pistol has now been formally introduced to some writers at the
recent W-W seminar, where they not
only shot the gun, but also a TIC Contender chambered for the .45 Magnum
cartridge. Winchester spokesmen reiterated that there was no financial backing
of Wildey Arms by Winchester.
Look for a most interesting development from Numrich Arms; a .22 RF conversion unit for - hold on to your hats
- not only the Colt .45 auto, but the
Llama, the Browning 9mm and one or
more of the Smith & Wesson pistols either the M-52 or the M-39 or both. If,
as we have heard, these will sell for
under $100, they should be runaway best
sellers.
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER is a
bi-monthly periodical, and thus has a
substantial lead-time factor. For instance, the column you are now reading
was completed on January 12, 1979, and
it is inevitable that during so wide a
time-frame, factors in the industry will
change. With that handicap to work
with, we're happy that we've scooped
the industry as many times as we have.
That is solely attributable to connections
deep in the industry and the firearms distribution network, that give us the inside
info well in advance of the press
releases.
Certain people in the industry have
been very unhappy with this column, and
more than one gun-company executive
has sought for the "insiders" within his
own operation with McCarthy-like zeal.
One reason Ayoob bowed out of this column was that, although the identity of
the "insiders" is jealously guarded and
none has ever been found out or disciplined, people in various gun companies
who were known to be friends of
Ayoob's were taking heat from unwarranted suspicions. He told the editor, "I
made a point of never soliciting information from gun company employees I
knew socially or shot with in tournaments. The sources I sought were
production people, well-connected distributors, stockholders, and executives
who felt that the best interests of both
the company and the public would be
served with public knowledge of company activities that hitherto had never
reached the media.
'-'In signing off, let me note that
Browning, Dan Wesson, H&K, H&R,
Colt, and some Smith & Wesson and
Ruger executives, have been very upfront in discussing things that might not
have reflected favorably on the company, but were of vital interest to the
consumers. "
Ayoob will continue to write features
for AMERICAN HANDGUNNER. The
"Industry Insider" column will continue
to spotlight the hard-hitting truths behind
the scene in the American handgun and
....
handgun accessory field.
~
9
Handloading
DAN COTTERMAN
HOW TO USE GUNPOWDER
BURNING RATE LISTS
A
LEARN
The New Pistolcraft
At JeH Cooper's
API Training Center.
The American Pistol Institute is now accepting
applications for training of police, military and
civilian students (with proper credentials) at the
new HO-acre training center. Basic course
teaches you to shoot carefully and quickly; to hit
single, multiple and moving targets; to move correctly; to maintain continuity of action; to respond properly to the unexpected; and much
more. Unique, proven teaching method quickly
imparts the decisive skills of modern defensive
pistolcraft.
FOR 8-PAGE BROCHURE, SEND $1 to:
The American Pistol Institute
Box 4m- E Paulden, AZ 86334
CAMOUFLAGE LEATHER!
Plus other unique finishes
and advanced designs for
• Holsters' Belts· Rifle Slings
s handloaders we have a more versatile choice of components than
any who have experimented before us.
Bullet sizes, weights, and shapes abound
in an intriguing variety of composition
and construction; there is a choice of
rounds spreading over the traditional
span of calibers that meets every challenge and challenges our skill at every
meeting. We have a choice of primers
that includes a variation of ignition intensity equal to any situation. At the same
time, we are blessed by the greatest flow
of assorted powders the world has ever
known.
In the case of powders, however, there
is reason to doubt whether the existence
of a large selection amounts to a blessing
or a' bane. The first is true only if we
realize that too much of a good thing
often leads to confusion.
A need for the development of a list of
burning rates became apparent to the
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ALLOW 8 TO 12 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY
World's Smallest Pistol Scope.
~
HANDGUNNER II
By HUTSON
Tiny But Tough!
Only 5';''' long /1.7X Internal
'~
'
click adjustments Patented unlimited
"'I
eye relief/Fits TIC rail mounts for
S&W, Ruger, Contender.
Send for FREE BROCHURE.
JPM SALES ':~~S~i:I~:Ai•.
10
76063
II
My advice to the
handloader who is inclined to
view a burning rate list as a
statement of absolute values
is succinct: Don't."
writer many years ago. Involved at that
time were some 60 types of powder
which, after a lot of hard work and
frowning counsel with manufacturers,
were fixed on a "ladder" of relative
quickness. The hot numbers - Bullseye,
Acapnia, Nike, and their kind - were at
the top. Moving down, we passed the
likes of Herco and Hodgdon's 4227. At
the bottom we came to the slow stuff, the
"spaghetti crumblin's," the kind you
light now and burn later.
At last, for better or worse, we at least
had 'em all together, the blessings of different makers, so we could suspend their
names over our loading benches and
glance down the list whenever we were
about to work up a new load. Then, as
the years went, new powders came
along. Copiers with more zest for being
scientifically wet-nursed than talent for
accuracy simply wedged the newcomers
in where they thought they belonged.
The original list of burning rates was,
however, relative - simply because all
handloading situations are relative. The
adaptations subsequently became potentially dangerous because, almost without
exception, they were published as a static, therefore inflexible reference that
professed to show that one powder
would necessarily burn more quickly
than another, regardless of other influences within the load. The handloader
was thus deceived into paying no attention to the' synergistic - that is, the
overall- effect of using a particular type
of powder without regard to what might
happen as a result of variances in ignition
rate, chamber size, bullet weight, barrel
length, and so on. My advice to the handloader who is inclined to view a burning
rate list as a statement of absolute values
is succinct; Don't. You are tangling with
danger if you do.
There is hope for the usefulness of the
burning rate list. The untried load can be
tested within the limits of safety and with
reasonably predictable results. The
method for making the ladder safe is fundamental and is comfortably situated this
side of considerations involving physics,
chemistry or the science of pyrotechnics.
Before we progress to increasing the
practical usefulness of powder lists, a
brief explanation of the original and how
it came into existence should be attempted. Such a list could not possibly have
been put together so as to show the burning rates of 60 different powders in all
loading situations. Furthermore, there
had never been an attempt among the
several makers to relate all the powders
on a single list. For this reason it became
necessary to write to the technicians employed by each separate manufacturer to
enlist their cooperation in dovetailing
their respective lists with those maintained by the others.
Cooperation was a thing of tongue-incheek magnificence. The lab men, with
appropriate scientific concern, were afAMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
raid any such list would be dangerously
subject to misuse. However, the need for
a quick, general reference to burning
rates - along with repeated assurances
that it would be published with thorough
instructions for safe use - outweighed
conservatism.
Finally, the information was put together and circulated throughout the
world. The wreath of language surrounding it bristled with caution; however, it
may not have been widely known that
the bulk of powders on the list were classified according to laboratory "closedbomb" testing. That is to say the burning
rate (relative combustion quickness) of
the powders was compared without regard to the changes that can occur in an
infinite number of handloading applications.
While we are on the subject of the
closed-bomb test, it is important to note
that another factor called relative force is
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also determined. Relative force runs approximately parallel to how fast the
powder being tested burns. That is to say
the relationship is direct. Therefore, if
we give Bullseye a relative quickness of
100 percent and a relative force of 100
percent so as to use it as a standard of
comparison, Red Dot will perform in the
closed-bomb test with a relative quickness of 95 percent and a relative force of
96 percent.
An awareness of relative force measurements is more or less academic to
the handloading buff. It is, however, significant to realize that only about one
third of the total complement of powders
on the market can be considered suitable
to the loading of handgun cartridges.
Powders for these smaller chambers used behind shorter barrels - must be
relatively quick-burning and possess a
relatively high force rating.
All this comes together in a practical
sense when we realize that, in a given
cartridge, a single powder can be made
to burn more fully by an increase in bullet weight, a heavier crimp, or an increase in the intensity and duration of the
ignition flame. This formula, this synergistic concept of cause-and-effect relationships can be real and workable
within the least scientific of minds.
In consideration of the foregoing, it is
disturbingly wondrous to view a constant
dribble of letters from handloaders that
complain of incomplete burning of this or
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11
THE DEFENSIVE USE OF THE
HANDGUN: For the Novice by
Mason Williams, Firearms and Ballistic Consultant; Libby, Montana.
This text presents fundamental information on the safe, effective and defensive use of handguns by private
citizens. He offers basic instructions
for purchasing, loading and firing pistols and revolvers; handgun cleaning
and care; evaluating the condition of
the handgun; and practicing. 240 pp.,
106 il., cloth-$11.50, paper-$6.95
Fundamentals of MODERN POUCE
IMPACT WEAPONS by Massad F.
Ayoob, Police Officer and Weapons
Instructor, Hooksett, New Hampshire.
The author discusses practical carrying and use techniques of such
weapons as the baton and sap, the
nunchaku, the palm sap, and the yawara stick. He further explores the
psychology of the impact weapon, tactics to be employed during and prior
to its use, and training methods. 168
pp., 72 il., $14.00
AMERICAN POUCE HANDGUN
TRAINING by Charles R. Skillen,
Yellowstone County Sheriff's Dept.,
Billings, Montana, and Mason Williams, Firearms and Ballistic Consultant, Libby, Montana. The subtleties
of mental conditioning in relation to
handgun training and training by rote
receive a comprehensive analysis. Psychology, the legality of firing, and
training procedures based on modern
concepts are all handled in detail. 216
pp., 77 zl., $11. 75
THE SEARCH FOR AN EFFECTIVE
POUCE HANDGUN by Allen P.
Bristow, California State College, Los
Angeles. This text will assist law enforcement officials in selecting the
appropriate, effective weapon for their
specific needs. Topics include factory
ballistic test reports, the pros and cons
of large caliber revolvers and semiautomatic pistols, and community relations versus officer protection. 256
pp., II il., $18.25
THE IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF FIREARMS by
Vaclav Krcma, Consultant, Forensic
Firearms Field. Foreword by William
P. Brefka. Detailed information on serial numbering systems and codes is
provided. Extensive tables and photographs explain and show the location
of hidden serial numbers. An alphabetical index of more than five
hundred handguns is included. 200
pp. (8 1/2 x ll), 115 zl., $16.75
12
that powder. The insistent implication is
that something is wrong with the powder; the truth is that something is wrong
with the load. Signs of unburned powder
residue invariably indicate that the powder type and charge weight are not suited
to the chamber size, barrel length, bullet
weight, depth or constriction of crimp,
and ignition intensity. There is, within
this combination of factors influencing
combustion, a total effect involving how
well the powder is lighted, how much
space is available for burning, and the
amount of time provided so that complete burning can take place.
The "right" powder therefore becomes any powder type that is put to
work under a set of conditions most favorable to realizing the maximum of efficiency built into its specific design
and composition. Once you adopt the
thought process necessary to considering
all factors of influence, you will find the
way to superior handloads.
Taking an extreme for purposes of illustration, you will (if you care to experiment) find that it is impossible to pack
enough of a relatively slow-burning
powder, such as Hodgdon's old H-501O,
into a .32 S&W Long case to drive a
98-grain lead bullet from a six-inch barrel. This represents the ultimate inefficient use of a powder that would be
highly efficient in a larger chamber behind a heavier bullet. The powder is, in a
word or two, too slow to perform well in
other than the specific set of loading situations for which it was made. In a
somewhat milder example, many handloaders are puzzled and perplexed to find
build-up of unburned residue cluttering
chambers and barrels, spoiling accuracy
and performance.
The key to getting the greatest amount
of benefit from burning rate lists turns
within your ability to integrate what they
tell you with the information in handloading manuals. We should remember that
the manuals have a primary interest in
safety. I have no intention of diminishing
that objective. However, it is important
to realize that many of the loads listed
are more or less inefficient in the matter
of powder selection.
It is therefore a good idea to thin'< of
powder types for a particular load on a
three-level scale. The practice involves
nothing more complex than picking the
three powders that resulted in the highest
velocities for the particular bullet type
and weight you intend to use. It is highly
important at this point to keep another
consideration in mind: these three must
have yielded high velocities at chamber
pressures that are well within safe limits
for your gun. This caution will, in most
instances, eliminate those loads listed as
maximum. It is well to remember here
that we're seeking an optimum balance
of combustion efficiency which will, in
turn, render good ballistic performance.
Having the three-level idea set in your
mind you'll have a fast-medium-slow trio
of powders that are relative to the specific group of components you've decided to use. It will be possible, within
this concept, to predict the approximate
result of your efforts. We have here a
shortcut to more satisfying handloads
with less hit-or-miss experimentation.
As a post-script to my comments on
burning rates, it seems only right to add a
"Once you adopt the thought
process necessary to
considering all factors of
influence, you will find the
way to superior handloads."
brief note on the burning issue of
economy. Just as I prepared to drop this
column into the Pony Express bag, my
mailbox was found to contain something
new from Omark, CCI-Speer Operations. It's a cardboard slide calculator.
By simply "programming" the thing
with the cost of components you are able
to see the amount of money saved by
handloading. It covers handgun, rifle,
and shotgun ammunition and is designed
never to become obsolete as a result of
inflation. That is, as long as powder
doesn't blow up to more than $25.00 per
pound. However, whatever the dollar is
worth, the Reloading Cost Calculator is
worth the dollar you'll spend for one.
Send yours to Omark, CCI-Speer Operations, P.O. Box 856,
~
Lewiston, Idaho 83501.
~
Coops
COlumn
THE ULTIIV\ATE IRON PISTOL
THE FABULOUS PEABODY SPOONBILL
P
istol Silueta shooters will be interested to hear of a new and conceptually improved handgun for the Unlimited Class. If successful it should provide the perfect technical solutions to the
problems posed in this branch of the
shooting sports. It is tentatively called
the Peabody Spoonbill, after its inventor, James O. Peabody, of Belleview,
Arkansas.
The Spoonbill disposes its four, 14"
barrels vertically, adjusted so that each
barrel places its bullet exactly on the
second intersection of the line of sight
with the trajectory at each of the four
fixed ranges. Thus no sight change nor
overhold need be used. Each barrel is
stamped with the appropriate silhouette,
to obviate misunderstandings.
A side-break is utilized in order to reduce rotary movement between frame
and barrel assembly. The butt frame is
plastic for increased thermal and hydroscopic stability.
The prototype is being produced in 44
magnum caliber for testing, but production models will be chambered for the
45-75 Winchester cartridge (350 grains at
1380 f/ s) which approximates the performance of the 45-70 Govt. cartridge in
a shorter, fatter, bottlenecked case,
more convenient for handgun use. The
heavy bullet assures knockdowns on
every hit. Recoil, in this 5¥i-pound
piece, should be quite acceptable, in
view of the radical sighting and ignition
system under development, to which
flinching is not relevant.
The essence of the Spoonbill's superiority lies in its unique target-acquisition
capability. Since iron silhouettes may be
detected quite precisely by modern
technology, a single 3. 7mm laser beam is
projected coaxially with the optical sight.
Interruption of this beam actuates a solenoid which, in turn, actuates the electric ignition system. Thus the piece will
not fire unless the laser is on target. Obviously this arrangement works just as
well from offhand as from a bench rest.
The only care the shooter need take is
not to let his wobble stray onto the ad.joining target while the trigger is depressed. The acquisition cone encomAMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
passes 6.7 degrees as now set up. It may
be desirable to reduce this to about 5
degrees on production models.
Shooting the Spoonbill is simplicity itself. The shooter slings his power pack
over one shoulder and plugs it into the
butt socket. If all systems are in order a
small blue light on the receiver tells him
so. When any barrel is loaded (after
power is on) a tiny illuminated green silhouette of the appropriate animal chicken, pig, turkey, or ram - is displayed under the blue light. As the
shooter aligns his optical sight on the
target, he squeezes the trigger which actuates the laser, turning the blue light to
red. When the laser acquires the target it
fires the piece, and all lights go out. The
shooter need not observe his strike - if
the piece fires at all a miss is not possible, assuming everything is properly
tuned and wind velocity is less than four
knots.
Tuning the Spoonbill is fairly simple
for a trained engineer who has access to
the appropriate laboratory euipment.
Full instructions will be packed with
each piece. Naturally any variation in
loading the ammunition will call for retuning. It is also desirable to tune the
piece under climatic conditions exactly
the same as those where the match will
be shot.
Mr. Peabody, who realizes as well as
anyone that in future competition you
will be either a Spoonbill shooter or a
dead duck, is naturally very secretive
about his invention and would allow no
photographs to be taken. The barrel adjustment mechanism is a marvel of ingenuity, employing Swedish differential
screws, and he feels that its principles
must not be revealed until the piece is
ready for the market.
With any luck at all, the Peabody
Spoonbill should be available early in
1980. At a price of less than $9,500 per
unit, it will be a bargain for
anyone who is serious about his hobby.
headquarters will be the new Park City
Holiday Inn, which includes a convention room, hospitality room, banquet
hall, and a block of rooms reserved for
the contestants and their families. There
are some lower priced motels within
walking distance of the Holiday, which
we expect to use for the overflow.
Transportation will be provided between
the Salt Lake City Airport and both the
range and the hotel.
The tentative shedule of events calls
for a general meeting on the evening of
Wednesday the fourth, with shooting to
commence on the morning of Thursday
the fifth. Among other festivities, a barbeque and dance are planned for the
evening of the fifth in Park City. The
awards banquet will be held the evening
of the seventh in the banquet hall at the
Holiday Inn.
*
*
r"C-OUN-TERF"EIT""GUN-S·'
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NEWS FROM IPse
The U.S. Nationals have been set for
July 4-7, 1979 at Park City, Utah. The
*
*
We continue to be bothered by the
presence of impractical holsters in our
contests throughout the world. We earnestly request that all regions give this
matter serious thought, in light of the
principle that a holster for use in practical competition must be wearable - day
in, day out, on and off work, at all times.
A definitive rule on the subject should be
formulated and approved at the World
Meeting, but it is not too soon for the
.....
various regions to prepare
their thoughts on the subject.
~
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13
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14
OOIN' IT: WHERE WE PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
RELOADS
.,
-~~"
PHILIP C. BRIGGS
f you've been following along with me
these past few months you've picked
the ideal pistol, in the right cartridge for
your needs. Unless your forefinger has
atrophied you've no doubt been out
shooting it, but perhaps you've not yet
got around to trying that first match.
Well sports fans, stick close, we're going
to get you physically and mentally prepared and pass along some tips on how to
do it. If you have already been out after
the iron animals, stick around anyhow.
You can put little check marks on the
margins as we go along - we'll see how
well you did on your own.
Preparation for that first match begins
long before that Sunday morning.
There're the obvious steps of practice,
load development, sighting in; plus the
less obvious steps of equipment selection
and coach corraling.
To elaborate.
Practice is so obvious that you've been
doing it without even considering it as a
separate and distinct aspect of the necessary preparation. But it is. If you haven't
practiced enough to understand and master the fundamental skills of sight picture, sight alignment and trigger control
you're not yet ready to compete. Those
iron targets don't magnetically attract
bullets, so don't expect to do better there
than on the practice range.
Especially standing. Doing well here
requires extra practice with the pistol in
your hands, to develop the muscular
strength necessary to hold and control
the pistol while squeezing off the shot.
Figure on lot's of dry firing (one way to
utilize those idiotic TV programs).
Include in this category time spent
shooting paper to develop and become
familiar and comfortable in a freestyle
position. Match day is no time to find out
you don't bend that way, or that the pistol bites you in that hold. Practice makes
perfect and it has to be a duplication of
match conditions to be fully effective.
Load development is also an obvious
step, and necessary to arrive at that load
that has the accuracy required to connect
if you do your part. Don't worry about
ram busting power for those first few
matches - you've got to hit them first.
I
And they've got a lot of air around
them. Considering that the pig is only ten
inches deep from back to belly, and that
a good shooting wheelgun, with its favorite mag load, won't group much better
than six inches at 100 meters, even from
a sandbagged rest, you can see that
you've got your work cut out for you.
Takes time and careful work to find that
golden load.
Sighting in is the key to good scores.
And so often overlooked. Nothing, abso-
Do your load developing from a solid,
freestyle position.
lutely nothing, is more frustrating than to
squeeze off perfect shot after perfect
shot with no effect. The problem is that
hardly anyone with a .357 or .44 mag has
an appreciation of the large amounts of
hold over or sight adjustment that is necessary to hit targets at 150 and 200 meters when shifting from normal pistol
ranges. Drop at 200 meters from a 50
meter zero is upwards of four feet!
That's a lot of front sight. Best to learn
the sight settings before match day.
Besides the bullet drop, the targets differ in heights. The center of the chicken
is three inches above a six o'clock hold;
the center of the sheep, 150 meters
farther down range, is six inches above a
belly holo.
The six o'clock hold, by the way, is
the one to use. Black sights, and a little
daylight under the target, give the best
sight and target definition, and provide
the most repeatable sight picture. If
you're using Kentucky with, sayan XP,
next best is to hold on the feet on the
near targets, and on the belly of the
rams.
The only way to learn the necessary
sight settings or Kentucky (for your most
accurate load) is to shoot on paper at all
four ranges. The best targets are fullsized replicas of the iron animals stencilled on wrapping paper. You get a set of
patterns with your IHMSA membership
(send $12.00 to IHMSA, Box 1609, Idaho
Falls, Idaho 83401). Leave lots of paper
around the outline so you'll also be able
to learn where your misses are going.
Failing that, six, ten, ten, and twelve
inch black circles can be used to represent the bodies of the respective animals.
Be sure to do your sighting in from
your chosen freestyle or standing position. The pistol is an extension of the
','.
The standing class takes a lot of practice to be great.
shooter's hand and responds differently
to different holds. Odds are, impact
points will differ significantly between a
two-hand hold on the bench, and that of
your leaner position. Further, you see
things differently through your glasses
(whether prescription or plain shooting
glasses) depending on which part of the
lense you sight through. The laid back
view displaces the target from the
straight on view of the bench. This is
another variable that can be easily eliminated by duplicating match conditions in
practice.
Equipment needs are relatively simple
- but shouldn't be overlooked. Besides
the requisite earmuff and shooting glasses you'll need a shooting mat (for freestyle), cartridge box and pistol case (or
shell belt and holster), sight black, note
pad with all your sight settings, a screwdriver to make them, maybe a stopwatch, and some sort of organizer for the
loose stuff. Add binocs or a spotting
scope for your coach - but helshe can
carry them. Bring extra ammo, cleaning
kit, broken case extractor if you've a
TIC, and few spare parts and tools to
replace them, in a tool box but leave that
in the car for emergencies.
Don't forget a coach. Knowing where
you are on time, and where your shots
are going, will do wonders for your state
of mind. The coach doesn't call just
misses, but also hits, so that you can
keep ahead of wind, light, mirage or heat
induced changes of impact before they
cause a miss. Get an experienced
competitor to coach you if possible, as
they can offer advice as you go. That
may not be possible, but do bring a
coach. It's that important.
Getting mentally prepared is easy. Just
do all of the foregoing and the confidence
in your pistol, ammo, equipment and
abilities necessary to overcome match
jitters will have been attained.
Come match day, if you've prepared
as I've outlined, you've pretty well got it
whipped. Still, there're a few tips to pass
along that will help you out.
To keep yourself in that high state of
mental readiness, get to the match early,
sign up, get your gear together and be
ready to go when your number is called.
Be on deck at the line so that when
you're called it's just a few steps to your
shooting point.
Pick a nice flat place to stand/lay out
your pad. Space out as much as possible
from the adjacent shooter and clear any
protruding rocks or pebbles (the princess and the pea) from your chosen
spot. Don't want any unnecessary distractions.
Layout the ammo (five rounds), pistol
case, stopwatch, sight black, notepad,
screwdriver, muffs, and put on your
shooting glasses and elbow pad (if you're
using one). Put your butt down on the
President Andrew Jackson owned
many firearms during his career as
soldier, statesman and President,
however, his personal pocket pistol
was his constant companion until
percussion replaced flintlock. This
rare flintlock pistol, circa 1812, was
discovered on a roof rafter in 1968
during repairs to the Hermitage, Jackson's estate in Nashville, Tennessee.
Much conjecture exists as to how
the pistol found its way to the rafters.
One theory suggests that the pistol
was stolen and concealed during the
rebuilding of the fire-gutted Hermitage in 1834. When President Jackson found it missing one can imagine
his wrath! Small wonder the thief
never dared recover it.
This blackpowder buckle was
struck to commemorate the preservation of this important historic pistol.
The buckle is finished in brass and
shows intricate details of both sides
of the pistol jn relief. The buckle is
2"x 3%" and fits belts up to 1 %".
"~ii~~~ii·········
Send me _ _ buckles at $9.50 eachtwo or more $9.00 each, postage and
handling included. Blackpowder Club inquiries welcome. 30-day money back
guarantee.
NAME
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ADDRESS
SILHOUETTE
_
CITY
_
"POWER CUSTOM"
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Write for FREE
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STATE
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15
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OeptAH5793577 East Tremont Avenue. New York. 10465
pad and be ready to go on "load." You roam around, or talk to your neighbor.
should have made the initial sight setting 'Rather, review the last bank in your
for the chickens at home or in the car (so mind and with your coach. Discuss any
many clicks up from the bottom). Re- problem (i.e., wind, misses) with the
view the sight picture you've chosen.
coach and decide what to do to correct it.
On "load" the coach starts the watch; Be ready to go on "fire." Do it again,
you do, and slip into shooting position. shooting carefully.
After you've moved to the next firing
Coach gives a 3D-second countdown so
you can be ready to go on "fire." Pace point, spread your gear out again. Reyour shooting to use all of the two min- view the notebook and on "load" make
utes. Coach calls hits (misses) and, if the next sight adjustment (up two, or
you're on time, only calls a 3D-second whatever). Repeat this process until that
warning.
last cease fire.
Shoot one target at a time. Don't think
There's a few minutes break while the
targets are being reset. Don't get up, about that last miss, or how hard the
Hand craltad. fully
lined, leg & hammar
tie downs, 24 loops.
Shipment In 24 Hrs.
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AMERICAN SALES & MFG.
BOX 677 AH LAREDO, TX 78040
AUTO MAG SCOPE MOUNTS
AND SHOULDER HOLSTERS
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turkeys will be, or your buddy's score,
or how good/bad you're doing.
Concentrate on the front sight, sight
alignment, trigger squeeze. Do this right,
and the surrounding distractions will
fade away.
No peeking. Don't look at the target to
see if you hit it until the shot is off. You'll
miss.
After you get back to the car, summarize the day in your notebook for future reference. Pistol, load, sight settings, hold, position, wind, temperature,
light, range, score.
Now that wasn't so hard was it?
There's a move afoot to separate repeating pistols from single shots. The
matter was considered at the annual
meeting of the IHMSA directors at the
1978 Internationals, but no decision was
reached. The pro's and con's seem
nearly equal in number and there are
other ways to solve the problem. By the
time you read this the issue should be
resolved, at least for 1979, but still I
think a little background will be of help in
understanding the rule change (or lack of
change).
Bob Sullivan of Brockton Mass wasn't
satisfied with the non-decision of the
IHMSA directors and set about to bring
the matter to the members. Bob circulated petitions to obtain the necessary
signatures to initiate a referendum vote
of the members.
Elgin Gates, International Executive
Director, has followed suit by running a
poll of the membership through the
IHMSA newspaper, The Silhouette.
One or both of these efforts will result
in a referendum. The outcome of that is
not certain at this time.
Mr. Sullivan wants the separation as
he feels the wheelguns aren't competitive with the single shots. Being coholder of the wheelgun record (35), he
should know whereof he speaks.
However, match directors are overwhelmingly opposed to the change as it
would increase the number of classes,
which means more paperwork, more
trophies, and fewer entries per class.
Personally, I throw in with the match
directors. Anything that increases their
costs increases our costs. Besides, how
impressive is a third place trophy for B
revolver (standing, black people with
one eye closed in December).
I agree the single shots are more accurate but it's still the shooter that counts.
Good ones will win anyhow, and move
on to a class where they meet competition. Ifit takes a single shot to win AAA,
then get one. The T/C's are cheaper than
any wheelgun, so you can't holler about
cost. In fact, you can buy two for what
the M29 costs and that pistol might be
required to be competitive in top wheel
gun classes. Enough of that. Next issue
we'll talk about how to put on and conduct matches for those of you . . . . . .
that don't have a place to compete. ~
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1073 Browning Hi·Power, Model P-35, 9MM Para . . . 26.50
0972 Colt Bisley Model Single Action . • . • . . . . . . 31.50
1075 Colt.Single Action Army[Pre·WW II Models] . • . 26.50
0971 Colt Single Action Army[Post WW II Models] . . 26.50
1072 Colt Peacemaker. New Frontier .22 . . . • • . . . 26.50
0973 Colt gov't.M/1911 auto,comdr.,ace,gold cup, etc 23.00
0974 Colt Python, other off. pol. Old model Frames Magna
Style . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.50
0975 Colt Python, other off. poI.[stand size replaces factory
wood]
26.50
1071 Ruger Bearcat Single Action .22
26.50
0980 Ruger Single6,Blackhawk[New modelsXR3-RED]26.50
1074 Ruger Single 6, Blackhawk[Old models XR3]
26.50
0978 Ruger Super Blackhawk. . . . . . . . . . . . .
31.50
0979 Ruger Security 6, Pol. Servo 6, Square Butt. .
27.50
0983 Smith & Wesson, "J" Frame· Round Butt. .
26.50
0984 Smith & Wesson, "J" Frame· Square Butt. .
26.50
0985 Smith & Wesson, "K" Frame· Round Butt. . .
27.50
0986 Smith & Wesson, "K" Frame· Square Butt • . . . 27.50
0987 Smith & Wesson, "N" Frame· Square Butt.
. 28.00
0988 Smith & Wesson, Model 39 . . . . • . . . . .
. 46.50
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17
MASSAD F. AYOOB
meat begins. If you haven't gone through
basic at the Academy, you have to show
that you've had the equivalent training to
get into the advanced. Night shooting is
on the menu, and stress courses, and
combat shotgun work. The student is introduced to the sub-machine gun in both
semi-auto and full-auto practice, and gets
to work with a Startron-equipped rifle
firing on counter sniper targets in total
darkness. There is also a chemical agents
,workout. For the better part of a day, the
usually revolver-oriented students get a
workout with police autoloaders (Model
39s, of course; they, and all ammo, are
furnished) .
The instructor's school covers a lot of
that ground again, and this time from a
their own trademark and those of GOEC teacher's perspective, showing the stuand Lake Erie).
dent how to diagnose and correct bad
Mainly, however, they teach guns. marksmanship and safety habits, how to
There is the basic firearms course, fol- most efficiently structure a program and
lowed by the advanced, followed by the handle a line of shooters, and how to add
firearms instructor's program. There are realism to training courses. Also given is
special courses in combat match shoot- advice on the subleties of convincing a
ing, and the use of fully automatic chief to expand the training budget or
weapons. The courses last a week each, approve a radical (to him) form of trainwith the exception of the three-day ing or new equipment.
match school, that culminates with a
The match school gives the student the
fourth day spent in actual competition at opportunity to study under a master
a local tournament.
competitor (men like John DeChillis and
In basic, they start from the ground up Bill 0' Brien and others of nationally
with safety, sight picture easy-to-hit proven expertise). They also get to comArmy "L" bullseye targets. By the end pare speedloaders model for model and
of the week, the student has progressed brand for brand, and test their skill with
through instinct shooting, double action custom, heavy-barrelled and ribbed
control, and related aspects.
"PPC" guns. While initial match schools
The advanced course is where the real were for PPC shooting only, the next will
GUNS ARE NOT SMITH & WESSON'S ONLY
CONTRIBUTION ... THERE'S TRAINING TOO
T
he Smith & Wesson product that is
perhaps their least known to the
general public, is training. This is probably because the programs are open only
to law enforcement.
The Smith & Wesson Academy is located on Paige Boulevard in Springfield,
Massachusetts. A ninety-second drive
from the main S&W plant on Roosevelt
Avenue, this facility also houses the
shotgun assembly and research and development functions of Smith & Wesson.
The Academy was established in 1970.
Its curriculum includes night surveillance (S&W makes the famed Startron
night vision devices); Breathalyzer use
and instructor certification (S&W produces the Breathalyzer); and chemical
agents (S& W manufactures CN, CS,
Pepper Fog, and of course, Mace, under
18
probably be broadened to include IPSC
free-style shooting.
What you have just read is merely a
quick scan of the syllabus. It doesn't tell
you a whole lot. All that stuff, including
the sub-machine guns and what not, can
be acquired elsewhere. Damn near anywhere, in fact. What you get at Smith,
and only at Smith, goes a lot deeper.
It all starts with Charlie Smith, the director. Charlie used to be in charge of
firearms training for the FBI. When he
took the job at S&W, it was with the
understanding that he would have the
latitude to go far beyond what he taught
at the Bureau, and delve into the deeper
and more sophisticated aspects of training cops with guns. S&W gave him carte
liThe advanced course is
where the real meat begins."
blanche, and the result is one of the most
important police training programs in
the nation.
It should be noted here that, according
to Charlie, Smith & Wesson runs the
Academy at a loss and always has. The
tuition may seem expensive to police
chiefs who are used to no-charge classes
like those the FBI puts on, but it's cheap
enough when you consider that the price
includes a large volume of ammunition.
(Except for the match and basic schools,
where wadcutters are used, virtually all
firing is done with factory-fresh, fullpower .38 Special and 9 10m. ammo.)
The secret is Charlie Smith's
philosophy. Sure, he teaches marksmanship ... but he goes beyond that. His
real concern is getting inside the student's head, teaching him how to analyze
and react to real-life situations instead of
bobbers and silhouettes of paper.
Charlie and his staff instructors (usually two of the latter per session, each
class limited to fifteen students to assure
proper teacher attention) talk about sight
picture and all - but they also talk about
whether an officer who has worked in the
ghetto for a while may be developing racial prejudices that can warp his judgment and brew an emotional poison that
may eventually migrate to the trigger finger. His is the only program I know that
(in the instructor's phase) includes extensive lecturing by one or more doctors
of psychology on the factors that influence judgment and performance of police
officers in gunfight situations.
When a policeman kills, he may do it
with his gun, but he does it first with his
mind when he makes the decision to pull
the trigger. That is Charlie Smith's real
target. He wants to instill confidence, so
his student won't leave so doubting his
own ability that he shoots first in a case
where he may not have to shoot at all, for
fear that a pre-emptive strike will be his
lEW'
only chance of survival.
19
At the same time, he knows, that same marksman and clumsy on the draw, w/,!o
confidence and skill will make certain will panic and think, 'If that ~uy has got
that if the time to shoot has come, the something in his hand, I'm dead.' That's
student won't hesitate before delivering the undertrained officer who shoots bea fast, well-placed bullet or two in his fore he knows what he's shooting at, and
kills an innocent person by mistake!"
own defense.
Smith's studies of officer-involved
It would be hard to be critical of the
shootings indicate that the now-prev- S&W Academy courses. There is only so
alent "Dirty Harry" myth is totally false. much you can do in a forty hour week.
A lot of police chiefs believe that an offi- Sure, I'd like to see more rifle work,
cer who is into guns and practices his more really ripping-fast shooting a la
shooting a lot, does so because he con- Cooper, more work on tactical, running
sciously or subconsciously wants to judgment courses. But Charlie's mix of
shoot somebody, and that the gun-buff range work, shoot/don't shoot movies
cop is therefore more likely to be respon- (he uses the Motorola series), and comsible for an unwarranted shooting. They mon sense rap sessions, are hard to beat.
seem to think that the lawman who hates
One has to bear in mind that the S&W
to practice will also be less likely to Academy firearms courses are not aimed
shoot somebody and maybe involve the at the gun buff, with the possible excepdepartment in a civil suit.
tion of the combat match school. The
On the contrary, Smith's long experi- basic is aimed at the law officer starting
ence shows, it is the least-trained officer from scratch, and a healthy percentage
who is most likely to shoot the wrong of his enrollees there and in the advanced
person. He explains, "A man who is program are full-time policemen who
good with a gun, and knows both how have a lousy firearms program in their
and when to use it, knows he is capable own department, and pay Charlie's tuiof taking care of himself. Police situ- tion fees out of their own pockets and
ations aren't always black-and-white. come on their own vacations, because
Many begin with a sudden move in the they realize they don't know all they
darkness. The officer who is good with need to, to stay alive.
his gun because of training knows he still
Also heavily represented are desighas the edge when that kind of thing goes nated firearms instructors who mayor
down, and he'll wait the extra fraction of may not be right for the job. Even today,
a second to make sure the other person it happens all too frequently that when a
really is trying to, and able to, kill him. chief selects a weapons teacher, it won't
It's the guy who knows he's a poor be on the basis of that person's skill with
.-----------------------------------,
STURM, R~GER
1949-1979
30 'Years of Achievement
here were few people around in 1949
who could have imagined the impact
the announcement of a new gun from a
new company would have on the fITearms industry some thirty years later.
The .22 Ruger autoloading pistol was innovative, but this inexpensive plinker
did not offer any portend of what was yet
to come.
T
It wasn't until 1951, when Ruger first
' S' I S' R
I
th t
s howed thelr mg e IX evo ver, a
·
f
.
t h e fiIrst hmts 0 true greatness were eVIdent. These hints soon grew into realities
when, in 1955, Ruger announced their
first center fITe revolvers, the .357 Magnum Blackhawk Revolvers.
There followed new designs and modifications - from the Bearcat Revolver,
.44 Carbine, Super Blackhawk Revolver,
Hawkeye Pistol, 10/22 Rifle, Number
One Single Shot Rifle, M-77 eolt Action
'-
20
Rifle, the line of double action revolvers,
Old Army Revolver and the Mini-14 Rifie. Between came the New Model single
action revolvers that br:ought the 100-.
year-old design into the 20th Century.
Last year, to show its versatility in firearms design, Ruger announced the Over
and Under shotgun.
That's one hell of an accomplishment
~
h rt t!'
B t 't' nl
art f
lor so s 0 a me. u I ~ 0 yap 0
the story. The impact that Sturm, Ruger
has had .SlO the entire firearms industry,
t hTOugh its development and application
of precision investment castings, is yet to
be thoroughly explored.
This may be a rather short treatise to
cover 30 years of achievement, but the
story of Ruger firearms is recorded not in
words but in the products themselves. To
take a bit of liberty with an old Buick
advertisement, "Ask the
IIIIMman who owns one."
~
-=1
a gun, knowledge of the law in relation to
lethal force, or ability to communicate in
the classroom. The chief may instead
say, "Officer X is getting along in years,
and I'd like to get him off the street. I'll
assign him to 9-to-5 duty. What's open?
The range? Great, I'll send him to school
for a couple of weeks and make him our
firearms instructor." It is to Smith's
credit that some of his students selected
in this manner have returned to indeed
become capable and progressive departmental weapons teachers.
It sounds like Charlie is teaching to the
lowest common denominator. That may
be technically true - there always seems
to be one person in each class who just
doesn't care about guns and is only there
because his department sent him - but
that doesn't hold back the progress of the
rest of the class, which is usually comprised of cops who really do care.
Thanks to the favorable instructor/
student ratio, each officer enrolled can
proceed at his own pace through the accelerated program. The guy who needs
lots of work, will get lots of attention; the
student who is already a superb shot and
possesses a strong grasp of the legal and
moral aspects of using guns in the police
context, will get to talk to and practice
with the instructors at an even more advanced level, one that suits and increases
his own highly-developed skills.
There are other places where you can
learn other things. Jeff Cooper's programs at Gunsite will doubtless give you
more speed and versatility in terms of
pure movement and reflex and return fire
ability in gunfighting. FBI school costs
less and is good. My own courses go a lot
more into tactical aspects of what I call
"situational dominance in armed confrontations," and will include more
role-playing. But I don't know of anyplace where you'll do more actual shooting than at the Smith & Wesson Academy. And, even though I'm a little in
competition with him*, I have to say that
nobody has a better balanced program of
police firearms training than Charlie
Smith.
The credit for that goes not only to
Charlie, but to Smith & Wesson itself. It
would have been very easy for the company to turn the Academy into a profitable promotional venture that would
have increased sales in their broad line of
law enforcement equipment.
Instead, they have admirably given
their approval to Charlie's eclectic teaching methods. I have seen Remington as
well as S&W shotguns issued on the
Academy firing line, a commendable
idea since the majority of departments
issue, guns like the Remington with
crossbolt safety rather than the easierto-master thumb release on the S& W police shotguns. And I know for a fact that
if a student shows up with a duty Colt or
Ruger, and it breaks down, Charlie will
go into S&W Research and Development
and check out an identical gun from the
"firearms library," rather than issue him
a Model 10 or Model 19 S&W out of his
own training armory.
Smith & Wesson's commitment to taking care of America's police is unsurpassed in the industry, and the Smith &
Wesson Academy is a classic example of
that commitment.
, have completed almost all of Charlie's firearms courses save the basic. I
wouldn't have come back after the first
one if , thought they weren't worth it.
Each time I was there, , debriefed as
many students as I could corner, and
none of them ever regretted having
signed up. They all learned something.
Some would tell me that what they
valued most was the work on advanced
shooting techniques they had heard of,
but never tried. Others said it was the
opportunity to become familiar with
heavy tactical weapons. Still more said
that it put them better in touch with the
thinking that has to go with shooting.
What' personally got out of it most was
the emphasis on working hints for the
full-time weapons instructor in that particular course.
But like' said, the Smith & Wesson
Academy isn't mainly for master shooters. It is for working policemen, It is also
for security guards, those notoriously
undertrained sentinels who are finally,
thanks to long-needed state legislation,
being required to have proper instruction
before strapping on sidearms.
On balance, what do , think of the
Smith & Wesson Academy? Let me put
it this way. A while back, , was in
Springfield and Charlie made me his
guest at a graduation ceremony for a
class of new instructors. He asked me to
say a few words to them.
'" know a lot of you have never been
into an intensive firearms training program before," , began, "and you're
wondering just how what you've learned
here relates to other knowledge generally
available. , haven't seen it all, by any
means. , have had the opportunity to
shoot with FB' instructors, and sample
the Secret Service training program, and
shoot with men like Jeff Cooper. There
are a lot of approaches to firearms training out there, and a lot of fine teachers,
and a lot of valuable techniques that
aren't widely known.
"Like me," , continued to the S&W
Academy grads, "you haven't had it all.
But for who you are, and what you are,
for what you're going back to your police
departments to do ... I think you've had
......
the best."
I'll stand by that.
~
----=------
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• Catalog $1 .00
DON HUME
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JORDAN RIVER HOLSTER AND RIVER BELT This set is not only
accepled by Police as regulation equipment but 1$ also popular
with sportsmen The features Incorporated In the holSler assure
the wearer thaI the gun Will be In the fight position and readily
available when needed ThiS combinatIon has been tested and
proven for many years as !O liS effiCiency and comfort gOIng
through underbrush. shoollng In combal, sitting in an automobile, riding on horseback, etc
Like all 0 r equipment, thIS sel IS produced by expert
craftsmen who gIve each Ilem thaI personal touch
RIVER HOLSTER - Constructed from heavy saddle leather.
MetallO holster extends Into belt loop. Welt and plug are handstitched with waxed Imen thread. Custom Molded For
$26.35
Double-Action only Add $2 00 for barrel over 4"
RIVER BELT - Fully hned. nickel or brass buckle. width 2V,'
Give waist size
$24.00
Box 351 Dept. A.H. Miami, OK. 74354
*Editor's Note: The author teaches a
36-hour credit course in weapons and
chemical agents, to full-time peace officers only, through the New Hampshire
Advanced Police Training Program.
21
ADAYAT
,
f
1. A Colt Automatic in .32 Auto the
way it should have come oH the
production line . .. with the sharp
edge of the "V" on the slide grooves
pointing to the front of the barrel.
2. "Harry's" mistake has the slide
pulling grooves pointing to the rear.
An off day
for one Colt
DONALD M. SIMMONS
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
MAY 1921
he first hint of spring air is in the air
on this Monday morning as Harry
walks to work. Harry is not that interested in the approach of spring as he is
in the fact that he has' one monstrous
headache; he was in a speakeasy last
night until two o'clock. Harry was normally a twelve o'clock bedtimer, but last
night they got to talking about the Irish
situation and Harry, although no Sinn
Feiner, was definitely anti-the British
T
22
employee
back in May;
1921 created a Colt
pocket automatic
•
.
rarlty...
"black and tans." They had also talked
of the happy fact that a New York jury
had acquitted the Yankee's manager,
John J. McGraw for a violation of the
hated Volstead Act. McGraw allegedly
had a bottle of booze in his possession
during a visit to the Lambs Club last
summer. Judge Landis, the new commissioner of baseball, would not like
McGraw's publicity.
Harry shuffled along thinking of the
new President of the United States and
that they were making him a special bed
down in Washington, five feet wide and
eight feet long. Harry had voted for the
Republican ticket of Harding and
Coolidge. So for that matter, had the
state of Connecticut by almost a two to
one majority over Cox and the Democrats. The city of Hartford had given
Harding, the Ohioan, 54,000 votes over
30,000 for Cox.
Harry was well pleased with his job at
Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co.
He walked each day from his boarding
house to the Colt Armory on the banks of
the Connecticut River. Harry had taken
a job with Colt when he returned from
service in the "Great War" and he had
recently been promoted to machine setter at thirty five dollars a week. This was
big money at a time when bread had gone
back from the war's inflation to five
cents a loaf and sirloin steak was forty
cents a pound. The treasury of the
United States had decided to mint silver
dollars again after stopping in 1905. Yes,
was carelessness. He prided himself in
being ever alert for any mistake and yet
Harry this very day was going to go
down in arms history as the perpetrator
of the boner of the decade at Colt.
Harry walked upstairs to his floor in
the automatic pistol machining area. He
was early, but he didn't feel much better,
especially after coming through the drop
hammer room where the noise was
deafening and the heat oppressive.
Harry went over to see what the guy
wanted and found that he had a standard
box of thirty Model M slides that were
ready to have their slide pull grooves
milled. Before Harry's time at Colt, the
slide pull grooves had been machined as
"U" cross-section grooves, on the popular Model M - the then .32 pocket automatic pistols. In early 1905, because of
field complaints that the finger could slip
on these "U" shaped grooves, a change
This factory Model M, #59436, was
shipped on September 3, 1921 to
Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, Missouri.
except for being hungover, Harry lived
in a good world - in a land that President Harding said he would lead back to
normalcy.
Harry greeted the gate guard as he entered Colt Armory. The guard, who always had a word for Harry, asked what
he thought about the nine persons who
had recently been burned to death in a
head-on trolley collision in a nearby
town. Harry told him, aided by his feverish brow, that any operator careless
enough to have a collision with another
trolley, ought to be in jail with all those
foreign reds and anarchists.
Things had changed at Colt, too; with
the end of the war, "to make the world
safe for Democracy," the military market for firearms had dried up. Added to
this, the U.S. was starting to be flooded
with cheap pistols from overseas. The
.32 and .380 pocket automatics that Colt
made in Harry's department sold for
$20.50 but an imported apparent duplicate, sold for $18 in .32 and $19 in .380,
made in Belgium and sold by DavisWarner Arms Co. of New York City. A
Spanish double sold by Paramount Trading Co., also of New York, sold for $12
for the .32 automatic.
Colt's employment had dropped from
a war time high of 8000 workers to little
more than a fraction of that. Colt had
promoted vice president Samuel M.
Stone to its presidency and Mr. Stone
was a go getter and a no nonsense boy
whom Harry knew was keeping the work
force on their toes. Mr. Stone had come
to Colt form one of their chief distributors, Simmons Hardware Co. of
St. Louis, Missouri.
If there was one thing Harry hated, it
\.
Sketch at top shows the normal slide
pulling grooves that aid in a good
secure grip. Lower rendering shows
reversed grooves that make pulling
back the slide a little chancey.
Thank God, he was in the machine shop
and not in that forging room.
Harry took off his jacket and placed it
on the coat hanger that he then raised to
the ceiling rack in machine shop tradition. He looked around the twenty machines that he mother henned and heard
his name called by one of the operators.
to seventeen
cross-sectioned
grooves was instituted. Now in 1921,
both the .32 and 'the newer .380 had the
sawtooth grooves.
The operation to machine these 17
grooves was done on a horizontal milling
machine. The slide was held in a jig on
the table that was driven at a predetermined speed under the spinning cutters.
The cutters were 17 in number, all
mounted on an arbor which rotated at a
high speed. Harry slid the little beveled
disc cutters onto the keyed arbor; he
then placed the arbor, with the cutters on
it, in the miller's spindle. Next, he
mounted the jig to hold the slide onto the
milling machine table and adjusted the
table's height just right. Harry thought to/
himself - I'll show this operator how
quickly a good machine setter can set up,
even with a bad night behind him. Harry
had everything ready in less than fifteen
minutes - he even finished one slide to
show the operator he knew what he was
doing.
Yes, Harry, you did a great job back
on that May day in 1921 - you created a
rare variation in Colt pocket automatics.
You made an unconscious goof that
would rank with postage stamps with upside down airplanes on them. Harry, my
boy, you really did it up brown!
23
\
I
Checkered mainspring housing is a
new casting; not are-work.
Trigger guard is re-shaped,
finger rest is an add on.
Here's the Devel and Smith 39 for a
quick comparison. These see-through
Micarta grips are attractive and very
strong. Note front of trigger has been
reshaped and slide is fluted.
This gun is no slouch at the target.
Here are the results of J 5 doubleaction shots from 20 yards. The Devel
is really a gun of superior quality.
26
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE
Devel gauge determines length of case
and extractor groove depth.
It is important to know whether or not
extractor groove is marginal. The
gauge is also a key chain.
reason for it in 9MM in this country
when the .45 is available.
When three weeks after sending a battered 39 to Devel, UPS delivered a bright
and highl y modified Devel #005, I
wasn't at all surprised. I'm quite familiar
with Kelsey's manufacturing processes
that allow both precision and speed. For
example, the mainspring housing isn't a
rework - it is an entirely new cast piece.
The Devel is the most striking in appearance mini that I've seen. Running down
the checklist of modifications and examining them takes awhile. This is it:
I. Grip see-through windows for visual
inspection of magazine capacity.
2. Flutes in slide to reduce weight.
3. Barrel bushing redesigned as fixed
part of slide to improve accuracy and
reliability - the spherical configuration at muzzle facilities removal of
barrel from slide for field stripping.
4. A roll pin is mounted transversly in
the frame to stop the second round in
the magazine) during slide cycle.
With the role pin located just ahead
of the top front of magazine, the first
round feeds over the top of the pin
while the second round is held in
place to enable the magazine to fall
free from the pistol to facilitate rapid
replacement of a partially spent
magazine.
5. Devel custom spring package: The
following springs are custom designed for the Devel conversion they are made from the best materials available for the specific application; recoil, main, extractor,
magazine, firing pin return.
6. Front sight is ramp type with sight-
ing plane recessed to accommodate
bright red insert for improved sighting picture.
7. Two types of magazine finger rest
are available - one to accommodate
those with large hands - the other
for those with smaller hands.
8. Removal of frame spur to correspond to shooter's hand size.
9. Hammer spur removed to prevent
snagging on clothing (top of hammer
serrated for cocking).
10. Frame funnelled to facilitate rapid
magazine insertion.
II. Custom magazine release button to
aid fast removal of magazine.
12. Micarta grips provide excellent appearance with exceptional durability
and dimensional stability.
13. Trigger guard modified at front and
side to provide purchase for two
handed hold - to speed engagement
of trigger finger with trigger.
14. Additional safety lever is provided
on right side of slide for ambidexterous use.
15. Custom back strap designed to provide optimum grip (lower 2/3rds of
back strap checkered).
16. The magazine disconnect has been
removed to enable the weapon to be
fired when the magazine is removed.
In addition, a cartridge gauge is included to check case length and extractor groove depth and a.lighter than
normal mainspring (lighter DA pull) and
MMC rear sight are options.
Included as part of the package is a
very high quality hi-ride molded holster
and twin magazine carrier by Gene De(Continued on page 52)
Here's a view of the Devel disassembled. The unusual features are: seethrough windows for visual inspection
of magazine capacity. Fluted slide to
reduce weight. Re-designed barrel
bushing for improved accuracy. Custom backstrap gives optimum grip.
27
By JACK JASON
ichita is the first manufacturer to
get a truly Unlimited Silhouette
gun in production and available in quantity. By truly Unlimited, I mean the
Wichita doesn't need anything! Obviously no factory gun is going to satisfy
everyone in every respect. Sights, grip,
trigger pull, etc., are extremely personal
things. This is even more important to
AAA class shooters as the individual
touch may mean the difference between
winning and losing. Then again the
Wichita may be perfect for many shooters as is.
Basically the Wichita is a bolt action
single shot pistol capable of chambering
almost any cartridge. Specifically, let's
look at the specs and take the gun apart.
Action Barrel. The action itself is
carved from a solid chunk of stock and
ends up 1.200" in diameter and 7.100"
long. Action wall thickness behind the
locking lug protuberances (inside the action) is quite uniform at .165". That is
thick, strong and rigid - remember the
only cut-outs are for ejection port, bolt
handle and trigger assembly. The maximum thickness of the front receiver ring
is .265", again - plenty of steel. The
receiver is drilled and tapped for Burris
scope mounts. The recoil lug is massive
- .375 inches - is a full one inch wide.
Bolt release, on the side of the receiver,
is a pivot-plunger system that is quite
W
28
convenient and positive. The receiver is
made for either a right or left hand bolt.
The barrel is mated to the action with
such precision it is difficult to find the
joint in good light. Barrel length is 14 15 /16
inches. It is 1.200" diameter at the receiver, tapers gracefully to a diameter of
.555" at the muzzle. The barrel is strictly
premium grade. No tool marks were vis-
ible before firing it and interior surface
finish was definitely excellent. The muzzle is recessed about a .030".
Bolt. It is .875" in diameter and weighs
12 ounches on my trigger pull scale. It is
a three lug bolt with its face recessed
.130". The ejector plunger protrudes
from its face. The extractor is a spring
loaded large (Bronze?) affair that is careAMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
fully machined and fitted to grasp in excess of .210" of case rim. The body of the
bolt is fluted to reduce weight. The flutes
appear to be ground into the bolt body
and are not polished. The bolt is grooved
to ride in the plunger (bolt guide) that
also serves to release the bolt. The handle is flat, well proportioned and silver
soldered to the body. The rear end of the
striker mechanism is enclosed inside a
"gas cap" which is blued, fits flush with
the end of the receiver and would prevent gasses from escaping through the
rear of the bolt in line with the shooter's
face in the event of a pierced primer or
blown case. The bolt has three gas relief
ports. The striker is massive, heavily
sprung; its fall is fast and it only travels
.200 inches. (Eat your Wheaties before
taking this bolt apart.) Lock time is superb. In spite of Wichita's specifications
that the bolt is lapped and polished, it
opened and closed without the degree of
smoothness I expected for the first
100 rounds or so - then everything
smoothed up and its one of the smoothW
est bolts I've ever lifted.
29
Trigger. As it came from the factory unsatisfactory. It weighed in at 58
ounces and was creepy. A trigger pull
this heavy is likely to cost a target or
two. Obviously Wichita is capable of setting the trigger as desired and just as
obviously if they set it right, they would
have product liability problems. If you
buy one - plan on setting the trigger
yourself - just like on any other gun.
The trigger looks as if it should be spelled
"Remington." The front trigger assembly is securely bolted to the recoil lug.
An adjustment is provided. The trigger
itself is linked to the rear assembly by a
wire link. A housing is silver soldered to
the receiver and the rear assembly is
pinned to it. The guard screws are relieved to provide clearance for the trigger
"bar." Frankly, when I first saw this
arrangement I didn't like it. It looked
cheap and undependable. After having
all sorts of trouble adjusting the trigger
and making it work in the stock under
recoil stresses, I cussed it and the guard
screws more than a little bit. I was wrong
- the stock was the problem - it hadn't
been relieved properly to clear the trigger "bar."
Five minutes with a Dremel tool cured
everything. I set the trigger at 18 ounces
and it is still on 18 after 600 rounds - not
bad. The guard screws are relieved on
one side to provide trigger linkage clearance. Turn them too far and the trigger
won't work. After a time, it will be necessary to shim under the washers to get
the proper tension and location of the
guard screws. My stock is about ready
for shims now. Of course, the average
shooter will not have the stock off and on
nearly as many times as I have.
Sights. A Lyman 57 receiver rear sight
with "target" knobs is standard. It is all
steel and probably the best peep available now that is suitable for MIS shooting. It is not completely trouble free as
sooner or later it will loosen in its
grooves and must be peened tight again.
The arm on the Lyman rear can be bolted
to the base effectively curing the problem. I replaced the Lyman aperture with
an adjustable Merit rear aperture that is
quite versatile for testing in different positions and light conditions. It works like
a camera lens and is well worthwhile as
an accessory.
A Lyman 17A globe front sight with
several inserts completes the sight system. A couple of the Lyman inserts are
tolerable and some people shoot them
quite well. Both posts and the amber
plastic insert with the hole in it can be
used successfully. Personally, I have difficulty centering the posts and a lot of
difficulty seeing through the amber job.
After considerable testing, I came up
with an insert I can shoot more accurately with than any other - it is a
crosshair. Use it by quartering the field
through the rear peep for accurate centering. Hold over, under or allow for
30
This "unlimited" silhouette gun comes close to the maximum allowable 4.5
pound weight limit and does not exceed the maximum barrel length and sight
radius of 15".
The Wichita bolt features 3 locking lugs plus an internal eiector. Spoon handle
adds a touch of class.
windage as with a crosshair in a rifle
scope. It is available from SSK Industries, (Rt. I, Della Drive, Bloomingdale,
OH 43910) for only the Lyman front
sight; price, $8.50. On the debit side,
some individuals can't see it, it fades in
poor light and is relatively fragile although I don't know of any that have
broken. Sights get a clean bill of health.
Stock. Two are available. One is
fiberglass, the other walnut. The wood
looks best, the fiberglass is the more durable. The test stock is walnut, well figured and oil finished. It is well proportioned and can easily be worked to fit an
individual hand.
Bench-rest techniques are quite evident in bedding. Aluminum "pillars" are
used for strength. The receiver, apparently without the front or rear trigger
assemblies, is then glass-bedded from
the rear of the action to around 2-2\1
inches of the chamber portion of the barrel. (The rest of the barrel is free floated.)
The stock is then carved to accept the
trigger assembly. It is all very neat,
strong and well done. Diameter of the
grip is 1% inches and it is 3\1 inches long.
Stock finish is oil. The combination of oil
finish and satin or matte non-reflective
bluing of metal parts is indeed good
looking.
The gun is 21 ¥gil long with the long
barrel and weighs about 4.5 pounds.
Shorter barrel lengths are optional. Initial calibers are .308 Winchester, .308 X
1.5" (a shortened .308) and the new 7MM
P.P.C. (Other chamberings on request)
Suggested list price is $595.00. Suggested
use is for Metallic Silhouette and hunting. You may have noticed I did not mention a safety. It doesn't have one. That is
the bottom of the flutes in the bolt, fit
and finish of the gun is superb; as it
should be in this price range.
Good looking doesn't always mean
good shooting. The Wichita didn't seem
to fit into that category and the company's reputation for making fine, accurate
rifles doesn't fit the image either. In
short - the gun shoots. More on accuracy later.
Federal factory ammo and re-Ioaded
GI cases with factory equivalent loads
were tried first. I roughed it in at 150
meters and burned a couple hundred
rounds busting whatever was visible as
far as I could see it. When I held and
squeezed it right hits resulted. Spray
paint cans at 200 meters can be tossed
high with quite good regularity from any
number of positions once you get the
range. Chicken targets at 200 meters ditto the cans. If you have a steady posi-
steel targets falling into the soft or dead
soft ranges. Hard steel targets will take
any velocity any unlimited gun will dish
out. In that event, I think you'll find it
wise to stay in the same 21-2300 f.p.s.
range to avoid the additional recoil of
heavier loads.
I've had good success in this velocity
range with .308 diameter bullets weighing from 130 through 170 grains. Heavier
bullets may do well too, but I haven't
used them enough to form an opinion
other than recoil gets rough for competition. Obviously the 130 grain bulletstraveling at the same velocity as heavier
bullets produce less recoil. Less recoil
means less fatigue and tendency to
flinch .. It is something to give serious
consideration. With recoil equal to the
150 grainers the 130 will shoot faster and
consequently flatter. The 150s and
heavier bullets hit harder and are defi-
How about a gun that will shoot
under 2" at 200 meters. That's with
iron sights, mind you.
Stock bolts have been machined with cut-outs. This gives good trigger bar
clearance.
perfectly OK and desirable for competition, but without a safety I simply cannot
recommend this gun for hunting.
As far as construction of the gun, I've
no complaints with the possible exception of the wire trigger linkage and the
someday necessity of shimming the
stock bolts. Actually, I have more of a
"wait and see" attitude toward these
two items. With the single exception of
tion and can get crosswires located right
and see a couple of bullet strikes, you
can hit it if you can see it. Believe it or
not, rocks 12-20 inches in diameter at 500
yards are not difficult to hit once the
range is found.
I've found 21-2300 f.p.s. to be about
the optimum velocity range for Metallic
Silhouette shooting when mild steel
targets are used. It is way too hot for
nitely more POSitive on knockdown.
Some ram targets require them, others
don't and some require more. Wide variations in what it takes to knockdown a
ram exist in spite of the IHMSA rule on
setting rams. 165-68 grain hunting and
match bullets are also very accurate and
positive. Match bullets aren't really necessary and some of them tend to damage
soft targets excessively. The 150 grain
Hornady FMJ military type bullet
doesn't damage our rams at 2150 f.p.s.
muzzle velocity. In terms of penetration,
I can completely penetrate ¥g inch mild
steel rams at 200 meters with this .308
with any bullet weight.
Target loads and full charge hunting
loads are properly stabilized by the
Wichita and are accurate. How does the
gun shoot when it's hot? Sighted in on
the 150 meter turkeys with a cold barrel I
heated it up by firing until I thought it hot
enough to test. With the same hold I shot
10 consecutive turkeys. With the exception of one shot I pulled, 9 of the 10
shots, if shot on one target would have
grouped in three inches. Dropping a
cold, wet towel on the barrel it sputtered
31
Unlike Cooper's
API School, the
emphasis is on
competitive free
style, rather than a
life and death
combat-type
training . ..
1 However, there are
similarities
32
oW that the International Practical
Shooting Confederation is a working reality, freestyle combat pistol shooting is gaining new devotees at a rapid
rate. As a consequence, there is at this
time a real need for qualified teaching
and instruction methods that properly
deal with this demanding technique.
The Ray Chapman Academy of Practical Shooting has been set up to meet this
demand. At the present time instructional courses are offered in four separate packages. The first is a two day
weekend familiarization course of about
sixteen hours, and is oriented towards
the person totally unfamiliar with firearms. A three day basic course, about
twenty-four hours of instruction, is offered for the person who is familiar with
weapons, but not too proficient.
The intermediate coUrse is slanted towards the individual who has been shoot-
N
Opposite page: Ray Chapman
overlooks the main pistol range of the
new academy. "Running man" track
and two moving targets are clearly
visible; Below: Raul Walters, a top
competitor in IPSC world competition
and his Pachmayr.45 ACP.
-
ing a handgun for quite awhile, but needs
to sharpen up the basic fundamentals.
About forty hours of instruction over a
five day period is the format for the intermediate class. For the really expert
handgunner, the advanced class is designed to polish and refine already existing skill, and to provide additional insight
into mental preparation for competition.
The advanced course is forty hours and
five days long.
For the 1979 season the projected cost
of the various courses is as follows. The
two day familiarization course will be
$95.00, the basic course $145.00, the intermediate class will cost $235.00, and
the advanced school will run $250.00.
This sounds like a lot of money, but considering what is offered in the way of
technique and the experience of the staff,
I consider the cost quite a bargain.
Anyone wishing more information on
~
class schedules, course content, or any
other details, should write directly to:
The Ray Chapman Academy of Practical
Shooting, 609 East Broadway, Columbia, Missouri 6520 I, or call 314-443-310 I.
In the near future facilities for rifle and
shotgun training will be available. There
are also plans in the works to offer a
course in advanced revolver technique,
specifically oriented towards the law enforcement officer who must use a wheelgun in his daily work. Future plans also
call for an indoor reaction range where
specific and varied tactical problems
may be set up. This type of surprise
course makes for very stimulating and
challenging training.
Very few people in the world today are
as qualified to teach the modern
technique of defense or competitive
pistol-craft as Ray Chapman. Ray is one
of the inventive pioneers that helped
create the concept of free-style practical
pistol shooting. He also is one of the
original Combat Masters, and the first
World Champion of the Combat Pistol, a
title he won at Glattfelden, Switzerland,
back in 1975. Ray also played an important role in the creation of the International Practical Shooting Confederation
in 1976. Over the years, Ray Chapman
has been an important innovator and
competitor who has helped the sport of
freestyle practical pistol shooting expand, mature, and grow into what it is
today, the most relevant of all the shooting sports.
With all this in mind, I was quite
pleased to be invited to attend the first
33
Author Miller firing the "weak-hand"
phase of the "Quick and Dirty" match.
five hundred rounds of ammunition is required, although in our advanced class
most of the shooters burned up about
seven or eight hundred rounds.
Aside from training activities, several
open matches are proposed, with a cash
prize of $1,000.00 for first place. These
shoots will be open to any qualified pistolero, and will follow IPSC guidelines.
The first of these is planned for sometime
in May of 1979.
The main thrust of the Ray Chapman
Academy will be to prepare the shooter
both mentally and physically for high
level competition in the sport offreestyle
practical pistol shooting. Although not
the primary objective, it is obvious that
this sort of training and preparation will
also hone defensive pistol skills to a fine
edge. Really, that is as it should be, because the sport is unalterably tied to the
practical realism of defensive shooting.
Since comparison is inevitable, I think
we should at this point mention the
American Pistol Institute, run by Jeff
advanced class of the newly opened
school. Only three classes were scheduled for the fall of 1978, to test the
facilities and work out any bugs in the
program, this in preparation for the 1979
season.
The Academy's range facility is located north of Columbia, Missouri on
thirty-five acres of gently rolling hill
country. Situated in a small valley, the
main range consists of a level area
covered with crushed limestone that is
square and approximately forty yards on
each side. Twenty shooters can be easily
accommodated at one time, spaced
evenly across the range for basic work.
For more complicated multiple situations
and advanced problems, that number is
reduced and the shooters rotated for
convenience and safeties sake. Eventually a second range complex will be
constructed on the property. It will be
similar to the first, only larger, with a
sixty yard capability.
The range is equipped with a very efficient moving target set up. This consists
of two targets that move either right or
left, either singly or in combination.
Most shooters do not have access to a
moving target layout on their home
range, so this proved to be a stimulating
and interesting part of the program.
Further down the little valley from
where the main range is located, conditions are ideal for a field reaction course.
A small stream bed meanders along one
side of the valley, and the trees, brush,
and tall grass provide perfect conditions
for a realistic "jungle lane" or assault
course.
It is planned that each class will be
34
"'~
.....
.
'
~.
:'", .........
~
Q..
'-'
-.'+ .l.(~ •
... ':..
............. _..
""46.
.
.
--"""'
--
,.,,',,\_,c
"
.
Chappie Gennett turned out to be the. top shooter of the week and receives
his certificate from Chapman and .congratu/ations on his shooting skill.
limited to from fifteen to twenty students. That way it will be possible to give
each person the individual attention he
or she may require. The intermediate and
advanced training format calls for a five
day program of instruction (Monday
through Friday) with half of the first day
spent in the classroom. The rest of the
week is spent on the range in morning
and afternoon sessions. A minimum of
Cooper, and located near Paulden,
Arizona. Both the Chapman Academy
and the American Pistol Institute are set
up to teach the modern concept of practical pistolcraft. The main thrust of their
operations is slightly different, however,
Jeff Cooper stresses the defensive use of
the sidearm, while Ray Chapman concentrates on the competitive angle. Since
Afv1ERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
CustomShop_
EVAN P. MARSHALL
THE CYLINDER AND SLIDE SHOP
F
remont, Nebraska:, is a city with approximately 22,000 residents on the
banks of the Platte River in the eastern
part of the state. Such a setting is in stark
contrast to the large urban centers where
custom pistol smiths such as Swenson,
Hogue, and Pachmayr practice their
craft. In spite of this unlikely setting, I
recently discovered a pistolsmith there
producing work the equal of such wellknown individuals.
Bill Laughridge is a man young in
years, but long on experience. He customized his first gun at age ten. When he
was 12, he shot his first .45 Auto and a
long-lasting fascination with the big auto
developed. While still in college and
newly-married, he took out a loan on his
car so he could own a .45 Auto. Extremely limited funds confined his shooting to ten rounds a week, but he
gradually mastered the weapon.
A tour of duty in a Special Forces Reserve Unit provided him with the opportunity to shoot and repair a wide variety
of weapons. His formal gunsmithing
career started on a part time basis for a
local firm. He repaired their customers'
guns in exchange for guns and ammunition. When this outfit went out of business, he approached another sporting
goods shop in town and started a gun
department and repair service that was
soon grossing $200,000 a year!
Demands for custom handgun work
gradually increased until Bill found himself doing these sorts of modifications to
the exclusion of all others. Bill's shop is
the equal of any I've seen with lathes,
grinders, and mills everywhere. Unlike
many others, his is strictly a one man
operation. His return may be little longer
because of this, but Bill never has any
worries about the quality of the work
that leaves his shop.
Bill can and does work on virtually any
handgun, but specializes in four areas;
target .45 autos, combat .45 autos, combat Browning Hi Powers, and big-bore
conversions for S&W N frame revolvers.
Bill produces a top notch .45 target
gun. He has tried all kinds of barrel and
bushing setups, but has found the Micro
bushing produced excellent results when
fitted properly. Fitting of slide and frame
along with tight lockup at the back of the
barrel produce outstanding accuracy in
his target .45s. The number of satisfied
target .45 users is shown by the fact that
the bulk of his business in this area is
generated by referrals from satisfied customers.
Bill's combat .45 work is not too unusual or different. He believes in close fit
coupled with total reliability. This requires a bit more work but it produces an
accurate, combat reliable weapon. Bill
likes the S&W revolver sight installation
favored by many custom pistol smiths,
but installs them in a different manner
than most. He mills out the original
dovetail a bit deeper and installs the
S&W rear sight in what he refers to as a
"protected" installation. This is an ideal
approach for a combat weapon, as the
recessed sight is protected from damage.
He also offers a number of the more
commonly encountered modifications
such as: squared and checkered trigger
guards, checkered frames and back
straps, beveled magazine wells, match
triggers, lowered ejection ports, extended slide releases and ambidextrous
safeties. He also offers a variety of
finishes ranging from a highly practical
sandblast blue to master blue or Armology.
The custom combat .45 Bill built for
me is based on a light weight Commander. I've carried this gun in basically unaltered form for almost eight years as an
off-duty and plain clothes weapon.
Bill performed the following modifications on my .45: S&W revolver sights in
protected style with white outline rear
35
F
ew things interest gun buffs more
than new firearms. Inventors come
Left: The Ishtar's side cover s'ides upand go on the gunning scene, creating a
ward off the frame to expose the funcstir of interest and perhaps leaving some
tiona' interna' parts. The compact deindelible mark.
sign combines doub'e action trigger
A good many arms inventors have colfunctions with a b'owback actuating
orful backgrounds, being creative people
means. Disassemb'y requires no too's.
of multiple talents and varied aptitudes. f - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .
One such person is John Winter, whose
work is represented herein. Among his
many inventions is a unique 25 ACP
purse gun that has commercial potential.
John Winter is a lifetime shooter and
arms collector. A mechanical engineering graduate of Illinois University (1941),
he served as an ordnance officer in the
European Theater of Operation in WW
II. His earlier war experience was with
design prototyping and testing at the
Aberdeen Proving Ground. After the
war, he pursued a fine arts degree at
Marquette University. His professional Left: The trigger bar connects trigger to hammer. The fork shape engages the
background includes work as a design- hammer step; back pressure on the trigger causes rotation of the hammer.
er/illustrator for Brooks Stevens, indust- Cam shapes disp'ace the bar and re'eases the hammer. Right: After firing, the
rial design firm, General Electric, and as b'owback operated slide actuates the gun, taking it through the se'f-'oading
a professional design consultant.
cycle. The hammer does not remain cocked but returns to battery with the
During the mid-1960's, Winter became breechb'ock. Each trigger pull and recovery is doub'e action.
_._--
37
concerned with street crime, and especially with the rising rate of crimes
against women. He was aware of the
special needs for safety and ease of operation for women's defensive weaponry.
ISHTAR .25 ACP
The result of his research and development is an intriguing and deadly piece
of hand ordnance called Ishtar. The
name derives from a 9,000-year old archeology; Ishtar, according to Winter's
ing pin and extractor in its rear section;
the forward section surrounds the barrel.
The coil operating spring, fabricated
from square section spring steel, surrounds the barrel and is compressed
inside the forward portion of the
breechblock by a shoulder bushing on
the breechblock.
The hammer does not cock on the
rearward movement of the slide. Each
shot requires a separate pull of the DA
trigger. Each shot cycles the blowback
This is a test bed (working model) for Winter's recoil control device. The gun is
chambered for .45 ACP and its weight duplicates that of a loaded Gold Cup.
Tests indicate significantly reduced muzzle rise.
research, was the first woman in recorded history to defend her honor and
select her lovers by force of arms. She
was a fertility goddess in a pre-Egyptian
mid-East civilization.
The Ishtar handgun configuration does
not resemble a conventional firearm.
This fact makes it appear less like a firearm, thus not creating a stir when it is
seen. Its unique action combines a
straight-line DA trigger pull with a compact, telescoping blowback self-loading
actuating means. The DA lock is operated by three fingers of the shooting
hand. The over-sized trigger allows for
this three-finger pull. The arrangement
minimizes trigger resistance and also
guarantees no accidental discharge;
there is no need for a manual safety.
The action is made thin and compact
by designing the actuating means as a
simple, telescoping blowback system.
The breechblock is a hollow cylinder of
steel of appropriate weight to provide
ample inertial delay and enough momentum transfer to assure positive blowback
action. The breechblock houses the fir-
38
actuating means, extracting and ejecting
the spent case, and feeding a new round
from the detachable box magazine as the
action closes to battery. The magazine
holds six 25 ACP rounds. All this comes
in a boxy little package not much bigger
than a packet of 100 mm cigarettes. The
gun appears to be a small camera or vanity box having an aluminum frame with
recessed panels of black Morroco-like
vinyl material inset. Its rectangular
shape will not tilt in a woman's purse and
can be slipped in and out of a coat pocket
easily. There are no external protrusions
to catch on clothing.
After prototyping the gun (pictures
herein show the preproduction model),
financial support for production aborted
and the project has laid fallow since then.
The excellence of design and the ease of
production of Ishtar makes it seem likely
that commercial support would be forthcoming. The gun frame is a simple
aluminum die casting, the side cover a
sheet metal stamping. Internal parts are
simple stampings, powdered metal fabrications, or screw machine productions.
The whole piece is quite thoroughly and
totally designed. Winter's Ishtar shows
him to be a capable professional, knowledgable in the many facets of design that
impact the production/marketing phases
of product development.
A few small details will be added to
Ishtar before production. Winter wants
A pre-prototype model of the Winter
SWAT pistol, made of wood. Further
details on this pistol on the following
pages.
to redesign the retractor handle to better
suit weak hands. This will eliminate the
thumb/forefinger opposition necessary
to manually retract conventional autopistol slides. He will adapt the Negator®
spring system to the magazine in order to
provide a constant spring tension for the
final as well as first rounds. This feature
will further increase operating reliability.
Some thought has been given to adapting Ishtar for 22 LR, but Winter feels the
feeding reliability problem of such a conversi·on should be worked out first.
Long, thin 22 LR rounds are more difficult to feed and the rim-fire ignition system requires more primer indentation
than small, round pistol primers. Ishtar's
Kennertium® (dense tungston alloy) inertial firing pin carries plenty of momentum for positive ignition. And, a
Negator® magazine spring with appropriate feed ramp angles might produce a
super-reliable 22 LR version.
SWAT HANDGUN
As with most other arms inventors,
John Winter has more than one claim to
fame. Among his many ideas is a SWAT
pistol especially designed to meet the
multiple needs of these elite police units.
Most SWAT people I have known go
"ape" over new equipment, and their
mouths will be wet for weeks over Winter's design.
The frame configuration utilizes the
Pederson grip shape used on the M51
Remington and the M54 Government
Model pistol. Trigger control is DA/SA
selective, with a 5-shot cylinder capacity. The ammunition is designed for police use only and includes a family of
rounds made for specialized police applications. The calibre is A08-inch; weight
40 ounces, with a 4-inch barrel. Standard
ammunition is the ballistical equivalent
to but not interchangeable with the Al
Magnum.
The barrel is configured low on the
frame to keep the recoil thrust near the
shooting hand. This arrangement
minimizes muzzle rise in recoil. All manual controls (safety, magazine release,
slide stop) are ambidexterous. The space
above the barrel houses a xenon pulsing
tube capable of projecting a 1.5 million
candle power (150 lumen/seconds) sunlight circle 12 inches in diameter at 110
feet distance. Since the light is collimated to the bore, centering the light
circle on a target guarantees hits at night.
The source of the light spot is so small
that it is hardly detectable at night.
Pacemaker batteries in the handle power
all the electronics of the pistol.
Winter envisions a special purpose police ammunition for the SWAT gun.
These rounds include a sandbag "stun"
round, hypodermic low velocity projectiles, and a special capacitor bullet
with a 45,000 volt negative charge to
relax adductor muscles and make a subject go "limp." In addition, a powdered
fuel/air mixture round (FAM) using a
grenade launcher principle, could completely disable an automobile or defeat a
substantial physical barrier.
The SWAT revolver configuration
maintains sideways, cam actuated ejection and extraction all in a solid frame
design. The foreward frame element
pivots to allow the cylinder to swing
sideways on a vertical axis. In a similar
manner to older breaktop revolvers, a
cam acutates and automatically ejects
the spent cases. Winter is working on a
special loading device for standard service ball rounds. The projected cost for
one of these guns would be $800, complete with a redesigned Audley clamshell
holster. There is no projected date on
delivery, since the gun is not yet in the
prototype development stage.
Other devices worked on by John
Winter include a kinetic recoil reducer
lustration and full-scale models is important to idea development; the making of
prototypes and reduction to practice of
the idea must be done to approach production possibilities. While there are
many people who can prepare specification lists for new firearms, very few are
skilled and determined enough to reduce
the ideas to practice.
The works of John Winter merit a
close look to see what value lies therein
for shooters and the
......
marketplace.
~
Be advised that none of these
guns are in production. Firms or individuals interested in participating
in the further development or production should contact John Winter,
SP 252, 815 N. 52nd St., Phoenix,
AZ 85008 (602) 244-1107.
This photo of the Ishtar shows how the little gun lacks the traditional "gun"
look. Designed for hide-out/purse purposes, this gun should have a lot of
commercial potential.
and an automatic cylinder indexing device that works off of the ejector rod,
making the ejecting of spent cases from
single-action revolvers fast and simple.
Winter also has a DA auto version of
Pederson's M54 45 ACP autopistol.
Whether or not any or all of these devices will ever reach the market is a matter for future speculation. These are the
products of a skilled and talented man
who has gone many steps beyond merely
spawning ideas. The documenting by il39
-
40
41
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A LOOK
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USED IN
THE 178
NATIONALS
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42
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Ross Seyfried, of Colorado, winner of
the 1978 National Championship, used a
.45 Colt Auto that had been tuned by
Pachmayr. His leather gear consisted of
a Hackathorn Special with a rear rake
instead of the usual forward slant. This
rig is a very practical outfit by Milt
Sparks that includes a heavy pants belt,
holster, and double magazine pouch.
Ross turned in a third, fifth, and two first
place finishes in the four match program,
quite an excellent showing!
Raul Walters of Columbia, Missouri,
came in second overall, with one second
place finish, two sixths, and one eighth.
Raul also used a Colt .45 Auto tuned and
modified by Pachmayr. For leather gear
he relied upon a # 120 Combat Rig by
Milt Sparks.
The standard handgun in use at the
IPSC Nationals, not surprisingly, was
the Colt .45 Auto. Originally introduced
back in 1911, this old and highly refined
Tom Campbell, who came in third,
firing the "Quick and Dirty" match. He
shot a highly modified Smith & Wesson
Model 59 in 9mm. Unique chest holster
is Tom's own design.
possible, stimulate those found in actual
defensive shooting situations. Anything
from fifty yard slow-fire to five yard
speed-shooting, multiple targets at varying ranges, weak hand shooting, reloading, to man against man bouts may be the
order of the day.
In any given match a variety of very
different problems will be presented to
the shooter. Since he must use the same
pistol, sights, holster, and ammunition
throughout, it cannot be over-specialized, or it will be next to worthless for
one or more of the stages in an individual
match. Thus, the equipment seen in
IPSC contests today represents the most
efficient compromise yet developed for
all around practical defensive use.
There are those who will disagree with
this viewpoint, and that is their privilege.
However, in all cases that have come to
my attention, any equipment or technique that is widely at variance with
those seen in current IPSC competition
tend to come off decidedly second best
when put to the test. The essence offreestyle shooting is just that, it is freestyle.
As long as you act safely, you may use
any technique or equipment available. If
you think you have a better way, give it a
try, and see how it pans out. You can rest
assured that if it does indeed work, the
rest of us will adopt it wholeheartedly!
To illustrate the equipment that has
been developed through freestyle combat pistol shooting, a look at the gear
used in the 1978 U.S. IPSC National
Match might prove interesting. The 1978
match was held near Saugus, California,
at Wes Thompson's Juniper Tree Range,
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
•
The Gordon Davis holster is closely
patterned after the Anderson ,Thunderbolt. Front weld construction eliminates sight drag and tension screw
provides friction to pistol while moving. Forward rake permits locked wrist
on maximum speed draw.
and was hosted by the Southern California Section of IPSC. A total of one hundred forty-nine shooters participated,
with a number of shooters from Canada,
England, and Austria taking part in the
affair.
As might be expected, with this many
individual contestants, a varied selection
of gear was present. This wealth of
equipment represented each owner's
ideas and personal tastes, yet overall,
each conformed within rather loose limits to a basic pattern.
MAY/JUNE 1979
Author's rig for practical shooting the
Colt .45 Auto customized by Armand
Swenson and a holster called the
Hackathorn Special by Milt Sparks.
design is the overwhelming choice of
most-top freestyle shooters. Tom Campbell, of Smith and Wesson's Research
and Development Department, did tum
in a fine performance with a highly modified version of the S& W Model 59 in
9mm to take third place. However, this
example proved to be an exception to the
general trend.
Interestingly enough; another Browning designed pistol is the only other
handgun to give the old Colt self-loader
serious competition in IPSC style shooting. The Browning P-35 is quite popular
in Europe and Africa, where the 9mm
43
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44
BY_lea.LB.
JOSS.BARD
ayonne, a port town in the extreme
south of France was already famous
before the Manufacture d' Armes de
Bayonne was ever thought of. Though
the origin of the bayonet is obscure, tradition claims that it was first designed in
Bayonne in the early 17th century and
derived its name from the Town's. This
tradition is supported by circumstantial
evidence, since the earliest references to
the use of the bayonet is connected with
Bayonne.
These references date back to the
1650's, but the gun-making factory has a
shorter history: it was founded by a civil
engineer, Leon Barthe, in 1920; later on
he was succeeded by his son Jean, and
the factory became known as the Manufacture d' Armes de Bayonne:
M.A.B. for short. This firm.
from the word go, has
been only concerned with
the production of automatic
pistols.
Until the
early fifties
the firm produced no greatly
original weapon. The whole
range of .25, .32, .380 was
closely reminiscent of the 1906
and 1910 Belgian F.N. Browning models.
Users did not mind this in the least, but
generally approved of careful production, good finish and safe mechanism.
This was no mere chauvinism, though
European standard may have been lower
in those days.
MODEL A
The firm's first model was reasonably
enough, Model A; it was chambered for
the .25 ACP round. Production began in
1921 and ceased in 1964. Some variations
of this model A appeared: the grip safety
which appeared later was missing on
early specimens. As time wore on this
B
Model A came to resemble more and
more the .25 Browning 1906 and, as a
matter of course, the .25 Colt M. 1908. It
differed though in one detail from the
above-mentioned pistols: the safety
catch on the Browning design is to be
found at the back of the grip, in front on
the MAB, which, after all, users find
handy enough. Other minor details must
be noted, such as the grooves
on the slide: there were 10
curved ones on the original model, much
in the Spanish Ruby
style,
16
straight
ones later on.
MODELB
As a matter of course the next
model was Model B: it was also
chambered for the .25 ACP round,
and first appeared in 1932, to be discontinued in 1964. It looks very much like a
Browning "Baby" with a grip safety
catch thrown in.
MODELe
The first .32 ACP MAB was Model C
which was produced from 1933 to the
late sixties. Though it does remind us of
a 1910 Browning, its general outline is
more comfortable. Readers who are familiar with German automatic pistols
may agree with me when I consider that
MAB's C model can be compared with
the 1910 Belgian Browning just as the
M.34 Sauer & Sohn may be compared
with the 1913 S&S model. There was a
o0
.380 version of this C model, though it
did not sell as well as the .32 ACP version; according to French Firearms Regulations the former was regarded as War
Material (which made for restricted
sales) and the latter as a "defensive
weapon."
MODELD
At this stage, the firm decided to
take another leaf out of a wellthumbed Browning book. In
1922 the Fabrique Nationale
at Herstal (Belgium) had produced an enlarged version of
their 1910 model. MAB understandably followed suit, since they
could not risk being outdone by
a foreign rival firm. The firm
had to offer as wide a range
as any other European
gunmaker. They released their C model
at the same time as
a model D,
which was of
course an
enlarged
version of
the C.
This model
D turned out to be
the most popular MAB pistol until the late sixties. Not only
did it sell like hot cakes to the general
public, but the Paris Police proved to be
a more important buyer, before and just
after World War II (it is still in production, and issued to several police forces
and government bodies, though gradually replaced by Manurhin, Smith &
Wesson model 10 and 19, and Ruger revolvers). Most unfortunately other
people appeared, namely the German
Occupation forces, who approving of our
wines and women, potatoes and pigs,
also took a fancy to this pistol. The Manufacture d' Armes de Bayonne produced
between 51160 and 54000 model D, .32
45
The 9mm P- J5 holds J5 rounds in
the magazine and has a short,
recoil, delayed blowback.
Drawings courtesy of Triple-K Mfg.
From their catalog ofpistol magazines
($2.00 from Triple K, 568 6th Ave.,
San Diego, CA 92101).
ACP caliber, from the summer of 1940 to for the .25 ACP round. The pistol's size
mid November 1942. This Model D is is that of a small standard .32 ACP pistol
available with a .32 ACP barrel or a .380 though it is to be' regarded as a large .25,
caliber barrel; it has a 9 round magazine with a 9 round magazine and a 3W' barrel
(8 for the .380), percussion is obtained by (80 cm).
From top to bottom. Top - Model F-Le internal firing pin (hammerless). The .380
As late as the early Fifties, the then
Chasseur, Caliber is .22 LR. Weight 28 version of this D pistol was primarily 30-year-old firm had contemplated the
ounces, O.A.L. measures 7.5; Model C meant for export.
production of one type of handgun only:
comes in .32 and .380 ACP. It weighs
variations on the self-defence automatic
MODELCID
We now come to Post WWII years pistol. From then on a new policy was
23 ounces. Overall length is 6. J; the
Model E comes in .25 ACP only. Weight when the firm gave birth to a sort of decided upon: the firm was now to manuis 25 ounces with an O.A.L. of 6.9; hybrid, namely the C/D model with the facture target pistols as well, and, which
Model D is in .32 and .380 ACP. It same frame and magazine capacity as the is more remarkable, combat pistols. This
weighs 25 ounces and overall length is D, slide and barrel being borrowed from was to have a surprising outcome, since
C. There again we find two versions: a somebody at MAB's thought it would be
6.9; Model A weighs in at J4 oz. .32 ACP and a .380. Production ceased a brilliant idea to combine the features of
Caliber 25 ACP and length measures in 1964.
combat and target pistols and bring out a
4.5; the Model P- J 5 has large
MODEL E
match version of a 9mm Luger combat
magazine capacity and the weight is a
From 1949 to 1964, the firm manufac- pistol ... But all in good time!
hefty 38 ounces. O.A.L. measures 8.
tured a large capacity pistol, chambered
46
GUNS AT IPse
Parabellum cartridge is highly regarded.
This excellent pistol is quite satisfactory
for freestyle shooting, and lends itself
well to custom tuning. It has not caught
on in this country, mainly because U.S.
shooters favor the .45 ACP over 9mm.
While some aficionados lavish large
sums of money on their pet 1911 's, adding many cosmetic touches, this is not
really necessary to achieve good performance and handling qualities. The
two most basic requirements are a good
trigger and good sights. Beyond that, an
accuracy job, speed safety, and beveled
magazine well for rapid reloading will
round out a good basic pistol.
Although an accuracy job is not always necessary, it usually is advantageous over the long run. A stock pistol
that shows acceptable grouping (say four
or five inches at fifty yards) won't hold
that accuracy through ten thousand
rounds in competition and practice. That
sounds like a lot of shooting, and it is,
but a serious shootist will burn up between two and five hundred rounds of
ammo per week, all year long, just for
practice!
An accurized gun will stand up to this
hard service for a much longer period of
time than the stock pistol, and hold
its accuracy in the bargain. MyoId
Swenson-tuned Colt, originally worked
over in 1972, still shoots closer than I can
hold, six years and many thousands of
rounds later. When new it would shoot
into about two inches at fifty yards. Both
frame and slide are cracked now from
hard use, but it will still group around
four inches at fifty yards from a solid
rest. It is now back in Swenson's shop
for repairs, but when it went back it was
still both accurate and reliable.
One of the most important modifications, from an efficiency standpoint, has
to be improved sighting equipment. I
would estimate that nearly every serious
competitor using an autopistol in the
1978 Nationals had taken care of this important detail. The issue sights on most
autoloaders are just too small and poorly
shaped for quick pick up and precise
alignment when using modern speed
shooting techniques.
Smith and Wesson revolver sights and
the sturdy Bo-Mar sight recessed into the
slide top were the most popular adjustable sights in use. Some pistols were
equipped with low mount Micro adjustable sights, another neat but effective
approach. These three sights, when
properly mounted, are sturdy, streamlined, and fully adjustable for elevation
and windage.
Quite a few shooters were seen using
pistols equipped with high visibility fixed
sights. Once properly zeroed for a given
match load, these sights are quite satisfactory for competition. They are
cheaper than adjustables, easier to install, and can take more abuse an'd hard
use. The Micro high fixed sights and the
King-Tappan combat sights are the two
most widely seen examples.
For combat shooting most people like
to equip their pistols with some sort of
speed safety. This may be a home
brewed job that simply has an enlarged
thumbpiece shaped to the owner's taste.
An increasingly popular approach is to
have one of Armand Swenson's stainless
ambidextrous speed safeties installed. A
large number of .45 Colt autos ~ere seen
so equipped at the '78 Nationa1s. This
device works equally well in either hand,
and so, is very advantageous in matches
calling for weak hand shooting. It is also
quite a blessing for the southpaw shooter
This neat little holster was suggested by
senior competitor Ray Chapman and incorporates full metal lining and the
moulded-in Bianchi sight track.
As has been the case for the past few
years, the majority of the top shooters
were sporting leather gear that was
handcrafted by one of two custom makers. G. Wm. Davis and Milt Sparks are
both well known for their excellent designs and fine workmanship. Although
their products are expensive, once you
have used them, you will understand
why they are favored by many shooters.
Another holster, used by some of the
West Coast shooters, is the Snik Mark 5.
This is an improved version of the original black plastic breakfront design that
offers greater security for strenuous activity. It is very fast, and in the Mark 5
version offers adequate retention. The
who favors the old Colt autoloader.
There are many other custom modifications for the 1911 that could be
covered in an article of this nature, some
of them quite beneficial, and some
merely cosmetic. Some of the more useful ones (but not absolutely essential) are
squared and checkered trigger guards
and checkered or stippled frames for better holding, blocked grip safeties for fast
handling, beveled magazine wells for
speed loading, and hard satin chrome
finish for long wear.
While many of the handguns used this
year were modified by their owners, a
large number were also tuned by some of
our top pistolsmiths. Swenson, Hoag,
Kings, and Pachmayr were all very well
represented. The work of Chuck Ries
(Box 205, Culver City, Calif. 90230) was
much in evidence, as was that of Bill
Wilson, 101-103 Public Square, Berryville, Ark. 72616. Both Chuck and Bill
participated in the match as contestants,
while Armand Swenson looked on as an
interested spectator.
Holsters for practical shooting fall into
several categories, and include strong
side speed rigs, cross draw, and general
purpose utility holsters. Custom holster
makers have the lion's share of the business here, but Bianchi Leather Products
is making a strong bid for a good share of
the market.
The Bianchi Model 45 Pistolero outfit
is a full race speed rig that is being used
by some competitors. Their best, is the
Chapman Hi-Ride cross draw holster.
Snik is marketed by WHM Enterprises,
6535 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif.
90048.
Along with holsters tailored to the favored .45 Autopistol, another essential
piece of leather gear is the fast grab
magazine pouch. This piece of equipment is a must if you want to take full
advantage of the autoloading pistol's
quick reloading potential. All of the important holster makers catering to the
combat competition market offer their
own versions of this carrier.
Designs of magazine carriers vary, but
the general configuration consists of a
double pouch that exposes approximately one third of the magazine. This
abbreviated form allows ready access, so
that the magazine may be quickly
grasped and jerked free. The two
magazines are held in place by simple
friction, and in the better examples when
one is removed, the other is still held
firmly in place.
In discussing guns and gear for IPSC
competition we could go on to much
greater length, however, space is limited.
There are many other designs, concepts,
and theories on practical equipment that
haven't been covered here. In large measure though, the pistols, modifications,
holsters, and other items that I've singled out for description in this article
work very well. This is the gear that is
used by the winners, and any aspiring
pistol eros reading this would do well to
emulate these competition
~
tested champions.
~
47
·~ ~~,,~\\
TRAINING FOR
_~\'t PRIVATE POLICE
Gombat Pistol
Expert Jerrg
UsherAppointed
To Train GGSI
Patrolmen
MASSAD F. AYOOB
rivate security police, as a whole,
have never had much of a reputation
for professionalism. They tend to be
underqualified, underpaid, and undertrained. There are some notable exceptions, however. You'll often find a
private guard, or more rarely a whole
security agency, with an outstanding
level of expertise. One of the latter is
CSSI in Los Angeles.
For many years, Consolidated Security Systems, Inc. has been one of
Southern California's most successful
dealers in Westinghouse alarms and related security hardware. Not long ago,
they decided to supplement that product
line with private security covering the
homes of clients.
Quality had always been the watchword with the corporation, and knowing
the shortcomings in many private security forces, they wanted to assure a first
class operation. Their solution was to
hire one of the best police instructors in
the business, giving him carte blanche
budget and control, with only one requirement: that he develop a patrol force
as well-manned and -trained as the best
public law enforcement agencies.
The man CSSI chose to head the
Community Watch patrol system was
Jerry Usher. In the several days I spent
in the L.A. area riding with the patrolmen, observing in-service training
techniques, sitting in on hiring interviews, and generally de-briefing top
CSSI people, I came away with the distinct impression that they had chosen
one of the few people who could fill that
tall order.
Well-known throughout California as a
P
48
CSS\
...
.,
•
COMMUNITY WATCH
CC51 patrolmen are taught to keep a
low profile when responding to 459
call; their role complements that of the
police officers who will also be called.
police instructor at both in-service and
college levels, the soft-spoken ex-cop is
better known to our readers as one of the
nation's top-ranked freestyle combat
shooters, having come in seventh in the
world at the last IPSC Internationals in
Rhodesia. The training Usher gives to
CSSI's patrolmen goes far beyond
weaponry, but does include some unique
and practical firearms work.
"A security patrolman's tactical needs
are different from those of a police officer," Jerry explains. "He has little more
authority than the average citizen to
make arrests. While an LAPD patrolman
will normally respond to a 459* call with
his gun drawn, our security patrolmen
have to keep a lower profile. In that situation, they'll keep the gun in the holster
until they see danger, and even then
they're trained to dive for cover before
they bring out their revolver.
"This has several advantages for
them," he explains. "First, it keeps
them more alert for danger when they
make their approach. Second, taking
cover first is a very sound tactic for survival. Third, it gives them an extra second to safety identify their target; a lot of
our clients have their own guns."
Every CSSI patrolman must have minimum California security guard training
before he even applies for the job; after
selection, training begins in earnest. As
far as firearms, that means three six-hour
sessions in which Usher works with two
students at a time. Unlike many instructors, he begins with instinct shooting,
and· then goes into the principles of
aimed fire. Proper use of cover is emphasized, as is night shooting, and virtually
all firing is double action.
.
Because private security forces in Los
Angeles are under the purview of the LA
Police Commissioners, standard cartridge is the .38 Special in a plus-P
softnose (not hollowpoint) loading. The
guns, however, are four-inch, fixed-sight
.357s. The issue service gun when Jerry
took over was the Colt Lawman Mk.III,
but CSSI is changing to S&W's model 13
M&P .357, principally for its easier double action trigger. The holster is specially
designed and produced by famed IPSC
leathermaker G. William Davis, and consists of a high-riding thumb-break with a
plastic roller that contacts the gun at the
front of the frame. This feature allows
the officer to run without fear of his unsnapped revolver falling out, yet yields
the weapon to an instantaneous draw.
Because of the required low-profile approach .to possible danger situations,
Usher places great emphasis on a quick
draw, and all the patrolmen I saw in
practice were lightning fast.
Security patrolmen are allowed no
shotguns; the only other weapon they
study is the 26" hickory stick (they are
taught the Koga baton method).
Each patrolman must have 12 spare
rounds on his belt, and Usher prefers
them to have six rounds in loops, and six
in a speedloader (he favors the HKS
brand). "It's seldom that any patrolman
gets into a drawn-out firefight where he
needs to reload," Jerry comments, but if
Top: Officer arriving at scene will hold
the status quo until LAPD arrives, unless suspect is escaping with stolen
goods, or endangering the client; Left:
Usher locks patrolman's elbows into
triangular position for point shooting.
Though he uses the bent-arm Weaver
stance himself, Usher favors Isosceles
position and instinct technique for
street work; Above: Patrolmen are not
allowed to draw their guns unless facing known danger.
AMERICAN'HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
49
WICHITA
(Continued/rom page 31)
and steamed. That's good - no, excellent performance for a barrel that hot.
Handloading the .308 Wichita is exactly the same as loading for a rifle. Pistol powders must not be used. Rifle data
should be used as a guide. Generally
speaking, a 15 inch handgun in a rifle
caliber chambering will produce 2-300
f.p.s. less than the same load fired in a
rifle. This generalization is just that - it
isn't 100% true.
The Wichita will safely digest any .308
Winchester load that is safe in rifles.
Heavy loads would be quite effective
hunting rounds as would factory ammo. I
particularly like the looks of the WW 180
grain P.P. It should be a dandy for positive expansion and deep penetration on
large animals. White tails, Muleys and
Black bear do not require heavy bullets
and the 130 Hornady would be a good bet
for small deer. Round nose 150 grain
.30-30 bullets perform very well on deer.
They expand somewhat more easily than
most of the 150 grain Spitzers that are
designed to be effective at higher velocities. The Spitzer 150s and heavier bullets would definitely be recommended
for animals in the Elk or Moose class.
For varmints, I prefer the 130 Hornady
spire point loaded to around 2850 f.p.s. It
blows up readily, recoil is on the mild
side and it is accurate.
Factory loads are fine for hunting. The
Federal 150 does 2545 f.p.s. 165-2430,
180-2408 and the WW-180PP-2331 f.p.s.
Any factory .308 load will be an effective, efficient deer killer at 200-250 yards
if the shooter does his part.
In actual shooting of the Wichita, I've
used every variety of position I can physically achieve. The Wichita holds and
performs comfortably from all of them.
Point of impact changes somewhat from
one position to another but handling
characteristics from prone, variations of
the Creedmore positions and offhand are
excellent. From a personal viewpoint, I
like muzzle heavy guns and would prefer
just a tad more weight on the muzzle.
I'm right handed and after using a considerable number of the XP-IOO conversions I really appreciate a bolt that works
with the left hand. It is not necessary to
remove the shooting hand from the stock
to operate the bolt. This gives considerably more time for sight alignment and
trigger squeeze during those 2 minute firing periods. That is a very important advantage in competition.
Accuracy. I hesitate to get into this
area due to the fact few people are aware
just how well unlimited silhouette guns
will shoot. When things are right, I can
count on staying under 5 inches at 200
meters from a variety of positions with
iron sights. A fairly high percentage of
50
with glass and has not given further problems. Frankly, of all the stocks I've seen,
I pefer those fiberglass ones by Jim Gilman (Ranger Canoe Co. P.O. Box 426
Route 25, Plymouth, NH 03264 AIC
603-536-2401). They are available in one
hand style or with vertical foregrip.
Most production shooters are overawed by the thought of a .308 in a pistol.
Until they shoot it with the 27.0-4759-130
load. They generally hit what they aim at
and become very enthusiastic about the
cartridge and gun. I would estimate a .44
Magnum wheel gun shooter who scores
consistently 23-25 would break 30 the
first time out with the Wichita and 35 by
his third match, assuming he shoots it a
little between matches.
Considering everything, I'm satisfied
with the gun except for its lack of a
safety. I shoot silhouette competition
and am classified triple A in both production and unlimited but I am not really a
competition shooter. As a handgun
hunter I miss the lack of a safety more
than most competition shooters would.
I believe the Wichita to be an excellent
piece of equipment for silhouette competition and priced reasonably for the excellent competition gun that it is.
groups will be under 3 inches. The .best
I've shot was slightly under 1.5 inches200 meters prone - peep rear - crosshair front sight. I don't know; but I think
the Wichita and XP-100 conversions with
new match-grade barrels are capable of
one half minute of angle accuracy if
given enough glass to see well enough to
shoot those kind of groups. I've seen too
many I" - 100 yard iron sight groups to
think differently.
After having about 800 rounds through
the Wichita, the barrel has shown no
tendancy to foul. On the debit side, during the last 50 or so rounds the extractor
has failed to extract three times. Its
spring appears to have weakened. While
chronographing at 600 rounds the grip
broke off of the stock below the trigger
guard. Luckily, it was only a 150 grain
load that the Oehler M-33 said was doing
2717 f.p.s. I didn't lose the gun, but it
was close. Cause of break - a knot in
the stock was in actuality a hole about as
big around as a kitchen match all the way
through. Combined with a drilled out
grip (very skillfully capped) the seasoned
walnut simply broke. I figure it is quite
unusual and don't expect it to happen
again. The stock was put back together
.308 WICHITA
-
.'
--
.
-
CHRONOGRAPH OEHLER M-33
VELOCITIES AT: 15' TEMP. 63-70°
PRIMER
CASE
CCI
CCI
CCI
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
CCI
CCI
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
Federal
CCI
CCI
Military
Federal
Federal
Federal
WW
Rem
Rem
Rem
WRA-67
WRA-67
WRA-67
WRA-67
WRA-67
Rem
WRI.-67
WRA-67
Rem
5-Different
Fed
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
RA-60
Rem
Rem
Rem
RA-59
WRA-67
WRA-67
Fed
Fed
WRA-67
CHARGE POWDER
42.6
49.0
41.4
48.7
50.2
25.0
25.0
27.0
27.0
27.0
25.0
27.0
27.0
48.5
35.0
37.0
39.0
41.0
39.2
33.8
36.0
38.0
39.2
25.0
27.0
45.5
43.7
4198
3031
4198
BLC2
BLC2
4759
4759
4759
4759
4759
4759
4759
4759
4064
H-4895
H-4895
H-4895
H-4895
4320
4198
4198
4198
4320
4759
4759
WW-748
WW-748
Premium
*Different days. humidity. temperature -
BULLET
10 Horn
10 Horn
30 Horn
30 HSP
30 HSP
30 Horn
30 Horn
30 Horn
30 Horn
30 Horn
50 HFMJ
50 HFMJ
50 HSP
50 HRN
50 HFMJ
50 HFMJ
50 HFMJ
50 HFMJ
150 HFMJ
150 HFMJ
150 HFMJ
150 HFMJ
165 HSP
165 HSP
165 HSP
190 WW Match
190 WW Match
Ball
150 SP
165 BT
180 SP
180 RNPP
.
VELOCITY VARIATION
3027
2976
2848
2795
2842
2086*
2166*
2248*
2238*
2173*
2070
2167
2113
2708
2057
2206
2313
2420
2293
2406
2504
2641
2252
1987
2097
2461
2370
2572
2545
2430
2408
2331
seating depth variations.
II
33
17
42
102
45
30
40
37
27
14
95
36
48
60
45
24
42
22
22
38
59
25
29
18
33
44
30
63
60
41
.,
Join PMA to ItnproveYour Shooting Skills
Americas only organization dedicated
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STEP-BY-STEP HELP FROM THE PROS
~
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and many more . . . you are invited to join the Police Marksman Association.
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\
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Created exclusively for Law Enforcement Personnel and Officers, PMA is
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training supplement and for competition. There are a lot of police groups
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I - mar k sman.
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PMA members are already exchanging ideas and techniques that will provide
you with supplemental skills and knowledge you need to enhance your chances
of survival in performance of duty. Join our thousands of satisfied members
who agree that PMA is the EXTRA EDGE for winning - on the job and in
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we'll be proud to have you join us. Here's why you should sign up today!
The POLICE MARKSMAN Magazine - Available only to PMA Members!
You'll receive the only magazine written by police officers and
training experts for police shooters. Every issue of POLICE
MARKSMAN is filled with info about combat shooting, bull's-eye
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The champions and the training experts combine their
talents . . . give away their "secrets" in professional "how-to" articles that guarantee to improve your shooting skills. You'll learn
"How to Care for Equipment" . . . "How to Perfect Your
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Plus Get These Full-Fledged Member Benefits!
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You can join PMA either as a Full-Fledged Member or an Associate
Member. In addition to getting Police Marksman Magazine, as a FullFledged Member you enjoy these extra benefits:
NOTE: Full-Fledged PMA membership available only to recognized
Law Enforcement Personnel and Officers.
• PMA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
• PMA MEMBERSHIP CARD- You will receive an official personal
membership card identifying you as a Full-Fledged Member.
• SPECIAL MEMBER BUYING SERVICE- To assist you in finding
difficult to locate equipment and to provide you with discount member
buying privileges.
• ELIGIBLE FOR PMA AWARDS- You become eligible for PMA national recognition awards: The joerg-Sloan Trophy. The Police Marksman Awards and Postal Matches.
• PMA DECAL- You will be sent a handsome designed Police Marksman Association Decal for your car or shooting box.
Associate members receive POLICE MARKSMAN Magazine and
Newsletters only.
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
MAY/JUNE 1979
be communicating, exchanging ideas, and learning from top
shooters and training officers across the country in every page of
POLICE MARKSMAN.
Try shooting after reading just one issue of POLICE MARKSMAN. This exciting, fact-filled magazine will give you all the extra-edge you need for job security and training. And for competitive
shooting, it will become as vital to reaching a 1400 score as
speedloaders are! Complete your application card today and mail it
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Your cost to join is only about the cost of three boxes of target
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I
~
=
:
POLICE MARKSMAN ASSOCIATION
217 South Court Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Yes' Enroll me as a member of PMA as indicated below. If [ am not
completely satisfied, I will notify you and you will refund my dues.
Full-Fledged Member: I yr.-SIS-Eligible for all PMA Benefits
(open only for recognized law enforcement personnel.)
~ Associate Member: I yr.-S I 0 (THE POLICE MARKSMAN
Magazine only) Open to interested shooters.
Check one:. Dues enclosed:
Bill me
Charge my: MC#
Exp. date - - - - - BAC#
Exp. date
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Bank on which account is drawn
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Street
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~
51
__
_ ~
DEVEL
first time out was pure pleasure. Almost
sunny, temperature in the low 50s and no
wind. I put a bullet mark on a rock about
(Continued/rom page 27)
25 yards away and adjusted the MMC so
the 112 grain Super Vel soft points were
Santis (307 Hempstead Ave., W. hitting just at the top of where the front
Hempstead, Long Island, NY 11552). sight was looking. I tried a variety of
Other DeSantis carrying rigs are ammo without a malfunction and was
quite surprised the point of impact was
optional.
Initial development of the Devel began relatively constant at 25 yards or so. As
in 1974. It became a reality in November distances lengthened various bullet
'78. I'm aware of the developmental weights and velocities made themselves
problems; cured through the building and known and noticeable impact variations
rebuilding of over half a dozen pro- were very apparent at 100-150 yards.
Under 50 yards having to switch ammo
totypes. Unlikely problems occurred such as pounding the barrel bushing off without the opportunity to sight in
the slide. Thousands of rounds were ex- wouldn't bother me much. The Devel is
plain and simple a combat gun. Extreme
pended eliminating "bugs."
The Devel shows a loaded weight re- accuracy and versatility in the field is the
duction over a standard M-39 of 3.9 least of concern. Surprisingly though ounces. It is an eight shooter versus the accuracy at 100-150 yards was certainly
original 9 shooter. Overall length is good enough to keep a man under cover
shortened from 7-19/32" to 6-3/4 inches. and worrying about his future. It is not
Barrel length drops .5 inches. The stand- just an across-the-room gun, although
ard 39 is 5-9/16 inches high; the Devel that is what it's designed for. Particularly
impressive was a hand load using Norma
is 5-1/16.
It is going to be largely a matter of R-I powder and the 90 grain Hornady
personal opinion, but the heft, feel and H.P. Let's just leave out the charge
pointability of the Devel is far superior to weight and say it is fast and accurate. My
that of the original M-39. The slide works gun has the light mainspring in it and the
harder than the original due to the short- DA pull was particularly impressive.
er, heavier recoil spring. (Five springs Experimenting with the "point & shoot
were developed for the Devel - maga- with the gun half raised" confirmed its
zine, recoil, firing pin return, extractor effectiveness is quite limited even at
short range and rudimentary use of the
and main).
The Devel has been productive. The sights is a must with any gun for con-
There is a lifetime of design experience in
every Herrett/s stock.
"':":.::)<:;'"
->
Shooting confidence with your personal
handgun storts with stability under heavy recoil and that is what I have designed into the
new Shooting Moster stock. Carved in matched
traditional walnut to tolerances that exceed the
gun frame itself. With smooth line rounded butt,
speed loader clearance, and combat style finger
grooves. Designed for identical right or left hand hold.
It is the ultimate for combat or silhouette shooting.
This is quality to match your professionalism.
Choice of smooth. fine line or skip checkered for Ruger. Colt and S&W.
~
DA revolvers.
er~r';tt~
.~~ ~
~
.~"']1to
~ gtO('k~; . .9nc. .
~.::=:s ~
52
Available from your dealer.
For catalog send $1.00
P.O Box 741-HS
Twin Falls. Idaho B3301 U.S.A.
IP>IISCOVEI ill
IElLOADllNC
sistent, good hits. The old yank it out and
start tapping the trigger as soon as it
clears your toes may have its place; but
good shooting practices will lead to
greater effectiveness even then.
Most mini-combat guns are sold to police engaged in work where they feel they
may need the ultimate in conceal ability ,
power and controllability. Face it - the
small revolvers only hold 5 rounds; in the
usual "panic" action in a shooting they
can be gone in a couple of heartbeats.
The Devel conceals just as easily, is easier to shoot, holds eight and is very quick
to reload. While on reloading; magazines
come out of the gun forcefully. The well
is funneled and fresh ones are fast to
insert. The grip is short. Unless the
magazine is slapped in with the heel of
the hand and checked with thumb pressure as the loading hand finishes its
movement a magazine is easily only partially inserted. The full size guns should
be checked the same way.
The balance of my shooting with the
Devel has been under rotten conditions
of wind and cold. Nothing more than
practical type shooting was possible.
(That is poking it out of the truck window.) Thirty-five rounds of seven different loads at 20 yards grouped in 7-7/8
inches included flyers, flinches and
yanks. Shots were spaced around one
second apart. Fifteen double action shots
with 112 Super Vel fired the same way
grouped 4-9/16 inches. Draw, fire one
magazine, reload and empty it into another target at just about maximum
speed resulted in 100% hits at 12 yards.
9MM rims, extractor grooves and case
lengths vary a lot in the 9MMs. The little
gadget for checking them is worthwhile
for someone who uses a gun seriously.
Today I had a malfunction. The first
round of a fully loaded magazine failed to
feed. It nosedived, effectively jamming
the gun. Tried again with the same result.
Round two fed and fired normally. I replaced the first round in the magazine.
Jammed again. On the third try of drop.ping it in the chamber .and dropping the
slide on it, the slide went into battery.
The round fired normally. Its rim was too
large in diameter to allow normal passage
through the magazine or for the extractor
to easily snap over it.
I really don't know how Kelsey can do
the conve;sion of a M-39 to a Devel for
$357.00 including belt, holster and
magazine carrier. My guess is that the
price isn't going to last long. The going
price for a mini conversion usually starts
at about $500 with some of them doubling that figure. I don't belive any of
them I've seen are a bit better; most not
as good and none that look as good as a
Devel. The Devel color brochure is really well put together and lists all of the
specs and options. It is available for two
bucks. (Devel Corporation, 28749 Chagrin Blvd. Cleveland, OH
~
44122 A/C216-292-7723).
~
M8·4X
M8-6X
added, and finally 6 minutes of left
windage is applied, giving the
owner a good picture of his scope's
performance.
Here's where bullet performance
helped prove scope performance,
and vice versa. For several years,
surplus match ammunition manufactured by the Lake City Army
Which comes first in accuracyAmmunition Plant was used to fire
the rifle, the bullet, the scope or the
groups for scope testing, since this
shooter himself? At Leupold Sights
ammo had a long-standing reputation for accuracy at Camp Perry
and its sister company, Nosier
Bullets, the Factory Service Deand other matches. The ammunipartment turned up the perfect
tion, 7.62mm (.308 Win.) with full
opportunity to find out. And, while
metal jacket 173-gr. bullets, evenwe didn't resolve the old chickentually ran out, so it was decided to
or-the-egg debate, the results
reload the accumulated brass.
·are mighty interesting.
To get the same kind of accuracy,
the cases were reloaded with
When Leupold scopes are reNosier Solid Base 168-grain H.P.
turned by customers for suspected
mechanical or optical defects, the
Match Bullets. It seemed incrediService Department routinely
ble, but group sizes shrank by
checks windage and elevation on a 30 to 40 percent! Remember, this
collimator and checks for tracking
means 30 to 40 percent smaller
and parallax. On occasion, when
than heretofore very acceptable
normal procedures don't identify
accuracy!
the reason for the customer's
In one instance, a dealer sent
complaint, the scope is mounted
four scopes in for suspected deon one of two factory target rifles,
ficiencies, a 4X, 6X, 8X and a
either a .308 Win. or a 30-06.
3.5xl0. He demanded at least
. V2-ihch 3-shot groups. On the .308,
Three 3-shot groups are fired at a
single bench rest target. One group the scopes and reloaded Nosier
is fired at near center, then an adbullets delivered ~shot groups, aU
justment of 3 minutes of right Windconsiderably/es.s than V21noh, wittt
age and 3 minutes of elevation is
one .group~'l Th&deater in-
Leupold & Nosier
Team Up to Prove
Performance Pays
in Scopes
and Bullets
M8-8X
Van-X III 3.5x10
sisted the .308 didn't have sufficient recoil to fully test the scopes,
so all four scopes were mounted in
turn on a pre-'64 Model 70 .375
caliber standard hunting rifle.
Nosier 300-grain Partition bullets
were loaded and fired. Every
5-shot group was less than 1 inch.
Since the groups were V2 to 3/4 inch
smaller than what are considered
"good groups" for this cartridge in a
hunting weight rifle, all four scopes
were retLirned with no repairs or
adjustments necessary.
As these tests demonstrate, we
go to a lot of trouble to make sure
Leupold and Nosier products deliver the kind of performance that .
pays off in tighter groups and more
hunting successes. But as to
whether it all starts with the scope
or the bullet, it's back to the old
chicken-or-the-egg discussion..
Target is typical of
three 3-shot groups
occasionally fired to
demonstrate that
Leupold scopes returned for suspected
deficiencies are not
actually defective.
Only a very few scopes returned are
found to need repair or adjustment.
First group is fired near target center,
S$COlld 9roup 3 minutes right windage
and 3 minutes elevation, third group
moved 6 minutes Ie winQllQe.
53
PRIVATE POLICE
they need it, this way they have the option of one fast reload, or a system I
teach where the embattled patrolman
will shoot two, load two from behind
cover. That method was proven on the
street when I was an officer in Indio,
California.
"When the patrolman is in a firefight
and behind cover," he adds, "it's
foolhardy to step out in the open and try
to make an apprehension. Instead, he
should stay behind cover, keep his opponent pinned down with a couple of
shots now and again, and wait for reinforcements. "
Usher is very strong on instinct shooting. He feels that the human brain is a
very functional little computer, and can
easily handle the task of sending a bullet
to where the eyes are looking without
using the sights. He teaches his men to
clear leather quick, punch the gun forward, and fire without using the sights.
This, however, demands two things from
the equipment. "The revolver must have
a smooth double action," Jerry warns,
"so the officer can learn to fire rapidly
without pulling the instinctively-aimed
gun off target. Also, the fit of gun to hand
has to be perfect if instinct shooting is to
work. The revolver is easier to adapt to
the individual's hand than is the semiauto, since you have so much more
latitude for changing grip shape."
Usher goes very heavy on night-firing,
with and without flashlights since this is
where the majority of dangerous encounters his men may have with burglars are
likely to occur. He reports that the instinct shooting techniques the men begin
with help tremendously when shooting in
darkness.
There are some other unique things in
Usher's teaching. Instead of the conventional belly-down position, Jerry teaches
IPSC's "rollover prone." This would
normally expose more of your body to an
opponent's gunfire, but since CSSI pa-
CHAPMAN
free-style practical competitIon, of the
IPSC type, is essentially geared to simulate as closely as possible the realistic
defensive use of the handgun, the two
different approaches tend to complement
one another quite nicely. Anyone really
interested in this type of shooting might
want to consider attending both schools
to take advantage of the vast amount of
experience that both these men possess.
The morning of the first day is spent in
the classroom discussing such details as
54
situations where someone has a nightmare and shoots a loved one with his
bedside pistol before realizing what he
has done."
He adds, "Our men aren't police, and
we make sure that they don't get their
roles confused. I saw that happen with
security patrolmen often enough when I
was a fulltime policeman in Indio. A se-
curity officer who doesn't stay within the
parameters of his job can get in the police
department's way.
"When our man arrives on a 458
scene, he will take action only if the
client or his family is in danger, or if a
suspect is escaping the premises with the
client's property. Otherwise, he is instructed to come in quietly, without
lights, and observe until LAPD arrives.
He will then brief the incoming policemen on the layout of the grounds,
which he will know intimately, and on
the nature of the situation. Naturally,
when an alarm comes in to our communications center, we will call the police
at the same time we dispatch our
patrolman.
"In this way," he concludes, "the police officer and the CSSI patrolman complement each other, rather than getting in
each other's way."
In addition to alarm response, CSSI
offers Community Watch, an intensive
neighborhood patrol service available to
many communities in the greater LA
area. Patrolmen are also available for escorts, and if desired can be on the scene
when a client or his wife comes home
alone. A popular M.O. for California
burglars is to grab the resident in the
driveway as he comes home, forcing him
to open the house and by-pass the
alarms.
CSSI is growing daily. In California,
says Usher, "Police aren't required to
answer burglar alarms at private residences, and though they often try, they
just have too much else to do to be able
to respond quickly. This is why intensive
private patrols are the coming thing."
Having spent the better part of two
weeks watching Usher and his people at
work, I can see his point. Hal Linden,
who plays the title role in TV's "Barney
Miller," subscribes to Community
Watch coverage, and if I lived out there,
I would too. Security guards don't always inspire confidence, but when you
know they're deeply trained by a professional - and a firearms professional as
that - their presence can
......
be very comforting.
~
proper equipment, clothing, and mental
attitude. Modifications of guns and holsters, and the merits of such alterations
are covered. In the classroom, and later
on the range, Ray stressed the need for a
positive mental attitude. Concentrate on
what you are doing, plan your match
strategy, don't dwell on mistakes, don't
shoot too fast, and remember what you
did right. Properly executed, this approach will help to prevent costly errors
in a match, and will also provide the
basis for sound training and practice.
The first range session is devoted to
basic practice exercises and drills to get
everyone warmed up and to provide an
insight into all the student's skill levels.
Various techniques are checked, from
seven.yard one-hand point shooting, to
fifty yard free-style.
Without going into too much detail,
the shooting program includes teaching
the basic two hand or Weaver technique,
speed re-Ioading of both the revolver and
auto-pistol, strong hand and weak hand
shooting, how to use a barricade, and the
rollover prone position. Other subjects
covered are concealed carry, night firing
exercises, proper lead on moving targets
at various ranges, and firing accurately
while moving yourself.
In our advanced class the latter part of
the week proved to be the most interest(Continued on page 56)
trolmen are trained to dive for cover
anyway it doesn't matter as much, and
the rollover is quicker and much more
accurate.
A very welcome training adjunct will
be firearms classes for clients. Says
Usher, "While many homeowners exercise their right to keep guns, not many
have been properly trained in firearms
safety, and fewer still understand selfdefense law and tactics. We hope to rectify this with an optional program. In addition to safety and marksmanship, we'll
teach things like keeping the gun at least
two steps from the bed to eliminate those
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em
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• Precision manufacturing techniques deliver bullets
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• An exacting quality control program rides herd over
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and that's three.
• Most bullets for reloaders are not truly
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The result so far? The best bullet made
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But here's where Taurus brings home
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An Advanced Lubrication System
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Mass distribution of Taurus bullets is just getting under
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38 CAL
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DOUBLE ENDED WADCUTTER
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tion system, using advanced materials de- L..veioped for the US space program.
Mr. Dealer: You will receive $1.20 handling fee for
The importance of the Taurus lubrication system is
that it virtually eliminates leading of the bore - a crucial each box of Taurus bullets you order. Enclose a copy of
point for accurate shooting.
your current FFL, signed in ink, with first order
Send all orders with check or money order to: Alberts
First Taurus is lubricated for passage through the bore.
Corporation, PO Box 157, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Then it is lubricated for proper seating in the case.
This advanced lubrication system permits use of a
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smooth bullet, one that does not require a knurled surface
.~K
(Continuedfrom page 54)
ing. On Wednesday the better part of the
day was spent in getting down the propef
lead on moving targets at ranges from
seven, fifteen, and twenty-five yards.
Everyone enjoyed this exercise, and
even at the end of a long hot day the
"running man" was kept hopping.
That same afternoon, while the class
was practicing their moving target
technique, Ray set up a surprise field
reaction course down along the little
creek bed that wound through the valley.
This course we each ran twice, once
slowly in an attempt to spot all targets
hidden in grass, brush, and trees, and a
second time at full speed against the
clock.
On each run I think we all learned
A DAY AT COLT'S
The slide pulling grooves traditionally
have the sharp edge of their "V" pointing toward the front. The back of the
tooth then tapers off to the base of the
next tooth. What Harry had done was
set-up so that these grooves were reversed and the sharp edge was to the rear
of the slide. The user of the pistol would
find his fingers slipped off the grooves
just as badly if not· worse, than they had
with the old "u" section grooves. While
all this seems basi'c, much like running
your finger over a saw in both directions;
the reverse groove is not easy to spot.
Harry didn't notice it; the operator didn't
either. The other machine operators who
finished the slide, adding the rear sight
dovetail and the front sight cut, didn't
56
thirty-five and forty yards from the finish
line. His score on the Comstock Count
was the highest of the day by a wide
margin.
Most of us stopped to fire at each
target individually, or possibly two at the
most, which cost valuable time. On the
other hand, Ray only stopped three times
after he crossed the starting line, to hit a
total of eight targets! He ran a little
slower· than some of the younger men,
but his superior game plan made it easy
for him to turn in the high score. We had
some really good practical pistoleros in
the class, but this one illustration is a
perfect example of how we all benefited
by Ray Chapman's many years of competition experience.
A number of the shooters in the class
were planning to attend the 1978 IPSC
National Match the following month, so
the last two days were spent in going
over the four courses that made up the
combined event. The Modified Advanced Military, the Quick and Dirty,
the Unique Mover, and the Modified
Cooper Assault were all practiced,
analized, and shot for score.
During this part of the program points
something. We found that we were not
really very observant. The first time were awarded and then totaled at the end
through, each person failed to spot at of the last day. Chappie Gennett of
least one target, and several overlooked Ashville, North Carolina proved to be
two or three. Later, when we ran the the top pistolero at the end of the week.
same course for speed, most of us In recognition of his outstanding perthought we had done a pretty good job of formance Chappie was presented a spemapping out our course strategy.
cial certificate attesting to his acAfter we were all finished, the old complishment.
All in all, our week long stay at the
master showed us how to do it right! Ray
fired at the first targets, jumped over the Ray Chapman Academy of Practical
four foot wall and raced down the Shooting proved to be entertaining and
course. When he got into the brush along very educational. I think every shooter
the creek he stopped and engaged three came away feeling that he or she had
targets from one location, reloaded and sharpened their skills and gained some
moved about twelve paces where he valuable insights on how to properly
again took out three targets from one prepare for competitive participation in
position, reloaded again as he raced on, freestyle practical
IIIIMand hit the last two targets at about pistol shooting.
~
notice it. The bench filer didn't spot it,
the final assembler still put the slides on
frames and stamped them each with a
serial number, thus uniting each frame to
a faulty slide. Even the highly trained
polisher passed Harry's mistake on to
the bluing department. The test firing
was done without the tester nqticing that
the slide slipped a little through his fingers. Surely final inspection will catch
the goof. Let's see what Colt has to say
about inspection at its plant. Quoting
from Colt's" A Century of Achievement
- 1836-1936"
"Well the gun has been built, assembled, tested. Only one more thing is necessary and then the gun is ready to go to
the shipping room and be a full fledged
Colt. That one thing is inspection, inspection with a capital I. And so from the
Shooting Gallery, their signed targets accompanying them, Colt firearms go to
the inspection room where a veteran of
long years goes over them with a fine
tooth comb. He looks them over thoroughly, gauges certain fittings, ranges
them again, checks action, trigger pull
and literally mothers them like they were
lost orphans. If they pass final inspection, and 9IIOths of them will, they are
put into stock in the shipping room,
wrapped in soft tissue and boxed. A Colt
has to earn its V.P. - "the verified
proof' mark. It is truly a badge of perfection with the final inspectors strike on
after they have given an arm a clean bill
and a license to go out into the world and
uphold the Colt reputation for building
the world's finest handguns. But a Colt
has to earn it. It must pass every test,
each inspection by a good margin or else
the V.P. does not go on. The V.P. mark is
held in high honor by Colt workmen.
They know better than anyone else, that
when a firearm finally gets its V.P. it is a
true Colt - a thoroughbred."
Well, this article is about two of Harry's thoroughbreds that got their coveted
V.P. but they had their slide pulls
reversed.
The Colt pocket automatic pistol, factory Model M, Caliber .32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), serial number 393850
was shipped on July 29, 1921 to J.L.
Galef Co. New York, New York.
The Colt pocket automatic pistol, factory Model M, Caliber .380 ACP, serial
number 59436 was shipped on September
3, 1921 to Simmons Hardware Co. St.
Louis, Missouri. (It is ironic that Colt's
new president Stone had been a salesman for this same Simmons Hardware.)
My mythical Harry may never have
known that he made a real Iarity that
long ago day in May; but if he did, I
would like to tell him that the two pistols
shoot fine and are safe, and except for
their slide pulls, are examples of Colt's
beautiful workmanship of yesteryear.
Thanks, Harry. Everybody has a bad
day now and then; certainly nobody's
perfect. In fact, in proof of the above, I
can see from where I'm sitting, two automatics with little V.P.s on their trigger
guards that fooled all of
~
you fifty some years ago.
~
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Elevation stud is twice as long as the
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A flat rear blade makes for the clearest
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A must for the serious shooter, in all fields!
*
*
MAB PISTOLS
*
MODELF
To resume: back in the 1950's there
appeared a new MAB pistol: the .22 LR
known, as readers may have guessed, as
model F. Production of this first .22 LR
Mab pistol was to last until 1963. It was
available in 4 different barrel lengths: 4",
4W', 6" and 7". The rear sight is laterally
adjustable, the front sight vertically adjustable. The shape of the stock is not
unlike that of the Colt Woodsman.
THE R SERIES
Roughly at the same time there appeared an R series of pistols, available in
different calibers: .22 short, .22 LR, .32
ACP, 7.65 long MAS, .380 auto, 9mm
Luger. Not unwisely at the time, the
manufacturer switched on to two military calibers: the 9mm Luger (the first
9mm French made submachine gun was
first issued in 1949) and the 7.65 long.
The latter remained a typically French
caliber, used by the French expeditionary Forces in Indo-China (the 1st
Viet-Nam war!). Incidentally, this
caliber had been chosen not for reasons
of accuracy etc .... but simply because
the French MAS 38 submachine gun was
chambered for this (poor) round.
An interesting feature on the R pistols
is the exposed hammer, replacing the
internal striker of previous models. Another is a new device: after the last round
has been fired the slide remains open,
and cannot slide forward again unless a
94563
*
Price $32.00 std. or $35:00 white outlines
Please add $1.00 postage, dealer inquiries invited!
IMPORTANT
*
ORDER FOR MODEL AND DASH NUMBER
SUCH AS 19-3, 29-2 etc.
Send $1.00 for our catalog on custom pistol work
BEHLERT CUSTOM SIGHTS, INC.
725 LEHIGH AVE, DEPT. AH-l
UNION N.J. 07083
2016873350
57
CUSTOM HANDGUN STOCKS
Presentation grade stocks of fancy American
& exotic woods for discriminating shooters.
SUPERIOR CRAFfSMANSHIP
l/Iustrated brochure $1.00
ROBERT H. NEWELL
55 Coyote 51.
Los Alamos, N.M. 87544
UNLIMITED SILHOUETTE PISTOLS
By Jack Dever
Complete guns available in the following configurations ...
• Xp·l00 (Rear or Forward Trigger)
• Shilen Action (Rear Trigger)
• Wichita Action (Forward Trigger)
All conversions feature Bench Rest quality barrels. Bench Rest
accuracy and fiberglass stocks.
JACK oeVER. 8520 N. W. so.h. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 13132 eI4061121·6393
STATE PISTOL LAWS
Booklet describing latest pistol regulations pertaining
to possessing, carrying, and purchasing of hand guns
for all states $2.00.
FEDERAL GUN LAWS
Booklet outlining latest federal laws concerning fire·
arms $1.00. CRIME DETECTION EQUIPMENT.
CATALOG, $1.00. Henry Schlesinger. 415 E. 52 St..
New York Dept. 17 N.Y. 10022.
LEFT HANDERS!
For use on all .45 caliber Colt, Mk IV, Gold Cup,
Lightweight and Combat Commanders, 1911 and
1911 Al govt. models, and Vega, AMT Hardballer, Detonics and Crown City Arms. $40.00
plus $1.50 postage & handling. California residents add 6% State Sales Tax. Overseas postage
slightly higher. Installation instructions included.
RIGHT HANDERS!
Swenson Extended Speed
Safely for all above
models:
$25.00 plus $1.50
postage & handling.
6% Calif. Sales Tax
for Calif. Residents.
Overseas slightly
higher postage.
Complete installation
instructions included.
SWENSON'S .45 SHOP
Post Office Box 606
Fallbrook, Ca. 92028
Phone: (714) 728-5319
58
new magazine (loaded or unloaded) is
snapped in place. This is more clever
than the device on the Beretta M.934
whose slide moves stupidly forward
when the magazine is removed. On these
R models, there is a magazine safety:
unless a magazine has been positioned,
the hammer cannot be cocked, percussion cannot take place, the slide cannot
be operated (not that if hammer has been
cocked BEFORE magazine has been
removed, the slide CAN slide back). The
usual safety catch is of course to be
found in the front part of the front of left
grip; lots of users get rid of this catch, as
they consider an external hammer far
superior to any other' type of safety
device.
Production lasted for twelve years.
Each of these military or police calibers R pistols (.32 auto, 7.65 long, .380
and 9 mm) comes in a different barrel
length, with fixed sights; the .22 short or
LR R pistols were available in three different barrel lengths: 4yz", 6¥!" and 73/16"
(114, 173 and 186 mm). The 4yz bbl R
pistol was marketed in the U.S.A. by the
Winfield Arms Corp. of Los Angeles
under the name of "Ie Chasseur" (the
Hunter). On the grips of these pistols,
the well-known trade-mark has been
transformed into W.A.C. It did not sell
well in a country that was already well
supplied with excellent .22 autoloaders.
THE G.Z. MODEL
Contemporary with the R series is the
GZ model: this is a pocket model with a
3\;8" barrel, external hammer and a
light-alloy frame. It differs from the C
model in having a take-down catch on
the left side for disassembly. The GZ
comes in three different calibers: .22 LR,
.25 auto and .32 ACP. It was mainly
meant for export; since 1962 it has been
made under contract by Echave Y Arizmendi, in Spain. The trade mark on the
slide is Echasa Eibar (Espana).
THE P.IS STANDARD MODEL
Though a few MAB pistols had so far
been marketed both in the U.S.A. and
Europe, the MAB P.15 was to make the
firm famous. In 1966 the firm began to
hatch a large 9mm Luger 15 round pistol
with a 4.6" barrel (unloaded weight,
without magaine, 1110 grammes, i.e., 39
oz.), known as the MAB P15, later as the
MAB P.15 Standard. All metal parts are
steel; the checkered grips, much to my
regret are hard plastic, not walnut. The
pistol closely resembles the Browning
HP, which was practically impossible to
avoid. The P.15 differs from small caliber
pistols in some mechanical details: the
barrel does not remain locked to the slide
until the bullet has left the barrel as it
does on other large caliber pistols. On
the P.15 as the bullet forces its way out
of the barrel, it creates a twisting action
opposite to the twist in the barrel. This
causes the barrel locking lugs to engage
the locking shoulder in the slide. Resulting pressure is partly kept up while the
bullet is still in the barrel. After this locking action is over, pressure from the cartridge case against the slide forces it
back; the barrel is rotated and thus unlocked from the slide. The slide then
moves back, which causes case ejection.
This type of action has been aptly termed
delayed blowback; this system is to be
found on the old 1912 Steyr-Hahn pistol
and .380 auto Czech pistols, and is generally considered as unusual in pistols
shooting such cartridges (involving high
pressure) as the 9mm Luger. (I)
THE P.IS P.A.P.
At the time this could be considered as
a good combat weapon. The problem
now was to modify it into a match model.
The resulting pistol was the P.15 FI ou
P.A.P. (pistolet automatique de precision). The barrel length is now almost 6",
not 4.6", the small ramp front sight is
replaced by a patridge type front sight; a
windage and elevation adjustable micrometer rear-sight is added. Some users
have found this rear sight a trifle too
high, a fault the makers should easily
correct.
The modified version of the standard
P.15 has an adjustable trigger. In conclusion I may say that this P.A.P. is a real
match pistol, designed for well-trained
shooters. Where the standard version is
perfectly accurate at 15 yards, good at
25/30 yds and has an effective range of
50/60 yds, with the P.15 FI very good
precision goes up to 50/60 yards. Just as
Colt's Gold Cup National Match pistol is
designed for competition ammo with
lighter bullets and a lighter load of powder than the old M. 1911 .45 round (230
grs), the P.15 FI is designed to shoot the
French Fl match ammo: this is a fully
jacketed semi-wad cutter bullet, data:
115 grs and 1080 ft/sec instead of 126 grs
and 1240 ft/sec of the regular cartridge in
the P.15's Standard's 4yz barrel). Accuracy of course decreases with the regular
military round just as it does when used
in the Gold Cup. But, mercifully, careful
shooters may resort to handloading (or
reloading) in order to obtain the best
possible round. Both the Standard and
FI version of this pistol are in production; only the latter is now in service with
the French Army, State Police and Air
Force.
As a conclusion I may point out that
though this small firm in Bayonne started
with very ordinary pistols for the French
domestic trade, sixty years ago, the firm
has now started on what might well be an
international career, with
~
this high-power pistol.
~
lIn 1966 MAB produced and sold an 8
round pistol, the P.8, almost identical
with the P.15, though the grip is .23"
shorter and, of course, flatter: 1.28" instead 1.44". This P.8 was quickly discarded, and is just mentioned here for
the sake of accuracy.
DIITITINDINIIIIIRIUN IINDI1IN_1IIIRDI
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
O.A.H.A. FOUNDATION, INC. 30016 S. RIVER ROAD· MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48045
.
*
*
he growth of the handgunning sports over members. The door and raffle prizes awarded at
the past couple of years has been nothing these annual affairs not only provide much en,
short of phenominal. The increasing number.~,
"oyment, they also reflect the increased support
participants in practical istol or combat sh
. en the foundation by the firearms industry.
of this sp ,
All of this is leading to one thought; the
ing has surprised even the ou,
And who would have believe
(;)uv-dation must grow in order to meet the
ners would take to shooting
, 'rbwi g needs of its members. We have gener,
chickens and sheep; well they have
"area a Clamn fine membership list over the past
thousands. Target shooting still draws thous r ' several years, but some of the annual members
of handgunners to ranges from coast to coast, 'either orgot to renew or they have what they
and nobody has yet been able to estimatel:the . f~el i a legitimate reason for not maintaining
theiIi membership. I hope this newsletter will
number of handgun plinkers.
The rapid growth of all of these handgun :act as a gentle reminder to those who have
forgotten - let's get back on the roles now,
shooting sports should be reflected in the
bership of the Outstanding American Hlrrd,Refore we forget once again.
gunner Awards Foundation. The reflection is " To those who left the fold for some reason or
there, but it is still rather dim. I suspect, IflPw" apotHer, we'd like to hear from you. We can't
ever, that it will grow brighter shortly 1) fore! chan e to meet your heeds if we don't know
what' eating at you.
and right after the Annual Awards Banq
San Antonio this May 19th.
I( you are a member, you can help by clipping
There were some who were not about~
the coupon on this page and keeping it in your
w.alfet; then the next time one of your shooting
because their particular handgun interes
not given recognition. Well, if you'll take OQ
buddies sks what he can do to help give the
at the 1979 nominees, you'll see not onlW lVenr ha dgun. sports the recognition they deserve,
handgun sport represented, but a: definite move, just hantl. him the coupon. And if you need
away from the clique image that past lists- ot , nipre m~mbership applications, just ask us.
'We'll oehappy to send as many as you require.
nominees presented.
The growing number of members 'Wh0Jltte,nif
For jus about the price of a box of .357
the annual banquet is also an indlcati0n~ihaY , Magnum~rtridges, you and your buddies can
the Foundation is meeting the needs of its . enjoy the pride of membership for a whole year.
T
a
mem,
---------------------------------------DVTITINDINIIMIRII:IN
IINDIUNNIR InlRDI
YES, I want to become a member of the
OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
AWARDS FOUNDATION
30016 S. RIVER RD., MT. CLEMENS, MI 48045
NAME
_
ADDRESS
_
CITY
STATE
_
ZIP
_
Enclosed is $15.00 for annual membership which
includes a year subscription to the AMERICAN
HANDGUNNER Magazine.
I am already a subscriber to the AMERICAN HAND·
GUNNER; enclosed is $10.00 for my annual
membership.
(Note: Life and Endowment memberships are available,
please write for details)
59
Hunting
GEORGE BREDSTEN
PRE-HUNT PREPARATION - PART II
WOODCRAFT, FIELDCRAFT OR BUSHCRAFT
IT CAN MEAN MORE GAME
D
Bill Jordan tells it like it is
in his fascinating book about
gun fighting, how to do it
and what equipment to use.
Informative and exciting
reading.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Choosing the Guns
Correct Loads
Proper Leather
Fast Draw
Combat Shooting
Gunfighting
Please send me - _ copy(ies) of
"No Second Place Winner" each at
$6.50 plus .75 each postage and
handling.
MME
ADDRESS
em
STATE
I
I
I
I
I
SEND CHECK OR M.O. TO:
1G-HG3
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
591 Camino Reina. San Diego. Cal. 92108
As a bonus Guns readers will receive
60
I
I
ZIP
L~autographedcopy.
I
I
I
I
I
J
epending upon the geographical location and according to whom you
are listening, woodcraft is also or otherwise referred to as bushcraft or fieldcraft. Regardless of the noun used, it
(woodcraft) is generally understood to
include the entire gamut of human skills
necessary for successful recreational existence or emergency survival while voluntarily or involuntarily restricted to
more or less remote and uninhabited
areas. Even though a person's woodcraft
will normally be tested/used dl'ring a
recreational existence situation; it should
not be forgotten that during an emergency, woodcraft excellence can mean
and has meant the difference between
life and death. Some of the more useful
skills are: making cord, rope, and tying
appropriate knots; building shelter; starting and maintaining a fire; finding water;
determining time and direction; fishing,
hunting, trapping and other methods of
locating and obtaining food.
While all of the foregoing skills are
important, the present concern is with
that aspect of woodcraft dealing with the
handgunner's sport hunting strategy and
tactics. One should first remember that
the species hunted and the method or
manner of hunting will often impose certain limitations as to the type and degree
of woodcraft that can be used. If this
basic precept is both understood and accepted, many so-called 'difficl'lties
and/or frustrations of the hunt' can be
neatly avoided. Using deer hunting as
the example, what are the sport hunting
methods that can be used and what factors of game habits and habitat need be
known and considered?
Although hunters in other localities
may use different names to denote the
methods herein discussed, there are but
three basic methods (driving, still/stand
hunting, and stalking) used in the sport
hunting of deer. Due to situational convenience or tactical necessity, many sophisticated and some not so sophisticated variations of these methods are
used. Each method and the myriad variations can be used to successfully hunt
deer, but fortunately no single method or
variation thereof is always successful.
Driving. This is primarily a hunting
method used in the Southern States - it
is used elsewhere - and while group
success is generally moderate to high, a
given hunter's success is often the result
of chance and position. This is due to the
fact that once a hunter is posted, it is a
rule - written or not - that he remains
on and about the assigned position until
the drive is completed. It follows that
deer mayor may not be driven to or by
any given position.
What with the number of hunters (both
those posted and those functioning as
drivers), the density of the flora, and the
general direction of the drive (towards
the posted hunters), it is not surprising to
note that the most popular hunting arm is
the shotgun. Many hunters use the shotgun as a matter of choice, but in certain
areas it is the only type of deer hunting
firearm permitted by law. Incidentally, in
some States dogs can be used to course
deer, and this is but a variation on a
theme wherein dogs, instead of people,
are used to make the drive. Of course,
there is the added benefit of the canine
musicale for those who appreciate the
voice of the hound!
During typical drive hunting conditions, many - if not most - opportunities for a shot will be at a moving
deer with the vital area intermittently
screened by intervening media. Under
such conditions very few handgunners
have the skill to make a firs't shot vital hit
and fewer still can muster the selfrestraint needed to forgo a safe but questionable shot opportunity. Consequently, even where and when a handgun can be legally used, this is one
method of hunting where the handgun
should not be chosen/used as a preferred
hunting arm.
Stand /Still Hunting. Whether in or
behind a blind, at ground level or ten to
sixty feet above ground, the effort to effectively remain silent and motionless is
something many hunters find physically
and/or mentally difficult. Any hunter
who, by choice or inclination, prefers to
hunt this way should be able to exercise
a great amount of patience and he ought
to have his powers of observation highly
developed. Without patience and accurate observation, it matters not that the
hunter's knowledge of game habits and
habitat is excellent, the hunt is apt to still
prove unsuccessful.
Poor patience causes many hunters to
do one or two things, either of which is a
mistake and likely to insure the game
animal a safe passage or retreat. The first
mistake, and probably the one most
often made, involves unnecessary hunter
movement. Such movement can produce
a sound or sounds that the game animal
will detect, react to as if dangerous and
then leave the area. Not all sounds cause
game to react adversely, but rest assured
the clicking of cartridge cases, the rasping of synthetic material or the striking of
a match can and will serve to warn any
game animal of potential danger.
If an incorrect/careless approach to a
blind is made, the best blind in the world
and the ability to sit as if one had gazed
upon the face of Medusa is all for naught.
Many hunters are ignorant of or choose
to disregard the factor of human scent
left on/near the ground as they walk to
their blind. Should this scent drift or otherwise be in close proximity to game
trails, the stand hunter might as well play
a game of solitaire. Awareness of the
human scent will cause most game to use
great care and not continue on as originally started. This means game animals
will go anywhere but in the direction of
the blind.
The second mistake stand hunters
quite often make is to see nothing. This
hunter malady manifests itself in two
forms. The first being where the hunter is
unable to recognize or identify an animal
unless the animal is visible in its entirety.
The inability to spot an animal, when
only a small part of the animal is visible,
causes many hunters to think there is no
game in the immediate vicinity. This sets
the stage for the epitome of hunter inattention! Because the hunter sees nothing, he concludes no game is or will be in
the area and he then puts his mind in
neutral and 'day dreams.' The stand
hunter in such a condition will not even
be able to see moving game, unless such
game makes abrupt and/or erratic
moves. It is not unusual for this type of
hunter to be taken by surprise - becoming aware of a game animal only after it
has moved almost completely across the
observation cone of the blind. Other
hunters, after leaving a blind, are sometimes shocked to discover sign where
game has moved past the blind while the
hunters were off on cloud nine.
The other form of hunter malady is
unfortunately one which on occasion results in hunter injury/death. In this situation the person is so intent on seeing
game that he will hallucinate the animal.
How is this possible? It can happen as a
result of different catalytic or precipitative natural occuring events; e.g., one
hunter pauses to wipe his brow with a
handkerchief, another person mentally
views the motion as that of a deer whisking its tail and without further ado
shoots. Apparently, the desire/wish to
see a deer is so great that a 'deer' is
visualized (image formed on the retina)
while actually looking at a human.
The foregoing type persons are rare
and not to be confused with those who
are, plain and simply, irresponsible. The
irresponsible person does not intend to
shoot people, nor does he hallucinate a
deer when looking at a person. However,
the irresponsible person causes much
grief because he thinks nothing of shooting signs, locks, abandoned buildings,
and even livestock. As a matter of
routine, he practices the inexcusable ac-
tivity of' sound' shooting; i.e., he hears a
noise - the originator of which cannot
be determined - and almost without
pause he shoots hoping it will be hit and
that it will be legal game! Such hunting
incompetents would do everyone a favor
if, instead of hunting, they would take up
a discipline/study like Confucianism.
You will note that nowhere have these
persons been referred to as hunters.
They may hunt, but they do not deserve
to be called hunters.
Stalking. Incorrectly but often called
'still' hunting - due to the usual requirement for relatively silent movement
- stalking is actually deliberate but slow
hunter movement intended to bring
about an opportunity for a reasonable
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THE SWIFT - Steel 4" .38 Super or 9mm
THE HUMMINGBIRD - Steel 6" .22 L.R. Crown-Kart
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~
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shot at the vital area of an undisturbed
game animal.
Stalking can be likened unto the game
of hide-and-seek, and if a hunter is to be
a successful seeker he must hunt instead
of meandering about as if on a hike. Requisites to successful stalking are many,
but slow and silent movement are two of
the most important. Unfortunately many
hunters move with all the consummate
grace and silence of a balleting hippopotamus, and any game animal not
deaf will evade such hunters with ease.
Even though relatively slow and silent
hunter movement represents perhaps
seventy-five percent of the successful
stalking hunter's effort, consideration
must be given to other factors which
can and do contribute to the hunter's
success.
Such things as hunting into or across
the wind, moving with the sun either directly behind or at least obliquely behind
the hunter, moving parallel to a game
trail or game foraging area while at the
same time remaining inside the
peripheral areas that allow concealment,
and periodically checking one's back
trail can all help in making the hunt a
success. There are other factors which
can also be considered by the hunter, but
as is the case with the stand hunter, the
key to successful stalking also requires
patience and accurate observation.
Yet, when all is said and. done, the
single most crucial factor is handgunner
marksmanship, and this topic will be discussed in the next issue of
~
The American Handgunner.
~
By JOHN BIANCHI
Choosing the correct holster can save your life or help you win in competition. John Bianchi has token the experience of 20 years as the
world's leading holster manufacturer and created a brilliant book.
QUICK DRAW for competition and low enforcement-CONCEALMENT, do you really think that bulge doesn't show?-SHOULDER
HOLSTERS may not be for everyone, are they for you?-the MYTH of
the CUSTOM HOLSTER as told by a master craftsman himself-Plus
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE, HANDGUN ACCIDENTS and much more.
It's all tied together by BIANCHI'S LAW. Must reading for serious
shooters.
BIANCHI TELLS IT LIKE IT 151
--------------------------Please send me my advance copy of 8l.UE STEEL & GUN LEATHER
at once. Enclosed is $9.95 per book plus $1.00 post.lhandling.
_ _ _ _ _ _800ks $
Enclosed
NAME
_
ADDRESS
CITY
62
_
STATE
ZIP _ _
MAIL TO: 26-HG3
-AMERICAN
HANDGUNNER
591 Camino Reina
San Diego, CA 92108
CA res;denls add 6% 10•.
,UNEQUALLED.
The look of a Colt.
Colt finishes are famous. And rightly so. The nickel is brilliant and the blue is deep and
lustrous. But that's not all. Each protects the gun's surface for years.
Colt grips, made of American walnut, are hand-matched, hand-fitted, and checkered,
not pressed. Giving you finer appearance, greater value, and the sure feel you've come to
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Colt service is unequalled, too. Hundreds of Colt dealers and Authorized Colt Service
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We've invested over 140 years in creating and refining the unequalled Colt look. Owners
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Important product and service literature accompany every Colt sale; be sure to ask for yours.
63
s·
LUCY CHAMBLISS
PPC VERSUS NRA COURSES CONTROVERSY
AND WHAT'S NEW AT NRA
D
uring the NRA Pistol Committee
meetings in Orlando last October,
several "Practical" Pistol Courses were
submitted to us for NRA sanction. The
courses seemed complex, and since four
were submitted without full details and
needed information, the committee
asked that additional information, and
preferably one standard course be submitted at the committee's meeting in
1979. About 4 years ago I corresponded
with Jeff Cooper on his new courses and
ever since then I have sincerely tried to
understand and perhaps interest myself
in shooting these courses. However,
looking over the Denver Assault Course,
the Los Alamitos Pistol Match Course,
the Flying M Course, and others, one
thought keeps coming to me. What are
we trying to accomplish with these! Develop a sport or teach guerrilla warfare?
We cannot do both with the general public participating, without losing the little
ground the recognized sport of shooting
has gained. Some argue the assault
courses are more challenging; I'm not so
sure. The fact that law enforcementtarget shooting champions such as Harry
Reeves, Bill Toney, Frank May and
others lived through REAL LIFE assault
courses in their careers and survived to
enjoy retirement, speaks well for "just
old target shooting." I know the other
implications, I have done my political
homework, and also, I am not just a city
dweller. I could both ride a horse and
shoot before I was 10. I was raised in the
country, near a lake, where daily when
we pushed our rowboat out, we killed
either a cottonmouth mocassin, a coral
snake, or a rattlesnake, but I don't want
to shoot snakes in competition! I want
the respect, the challenge and the standardization of shooting the same course of
fire that someone else is shooting, in
Seattle, Seoul, or Canton. Perhaps it's
pride of uniformity, like wanting to drive
a Chevrolet, or a Jeep, rather than a car
made out of junk yard parts. Evidently
others feel the same, or they would not
be seeking NRA sanction for their
courses.
The complaints that NRA courses are
fired to "perfection and boredom" are
.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
MAIL TO:
I
Pistols of the World
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
I
591 Camino Reina
I
Suite 200
I
San Diego, Cal. 92108
__________
-J
Please send me _ _ PISTOLS
OF THE WORLD. Enclosed is
$24.95 plus $1.50 for postage
per book.
,\(JOJ{ESS
CIT\'_
64
ZIP
legitimate. I am the first to agree, it takes
too long to change things in the NRA. I
worked for and voted for changing the
time limits in Match I of the combat
course, to at least 20 seconds, or 15 seconds, from the present 25. Seventy perfect national records scores in this event
were too many, I thought, and others
told me. But no one took the time to
write me, or the committee chairman, so
the motion in Jackson to update Match I,
was defeated by 14-2. Reasoning being
that the committee had not written or
live testimony that the shooters wanted it
changed, except two of us. Stagnation of
some NRA competition has caused other
"Some argue the assault
courses are more
challenging; I'm not so sure."
organizations and new courses to be
started. I still think for safety, public
crediability, enjoyment, and fairness,
NRA courses are the best. However,
when guns, ammo, and equipment are
improved, if the NRA is to be the leader,
they must listen quickly to competitors,
and you competitors must "write it up."
Sometimes we'll still lose, but I'll keep
trying if you'll help me.
Pistol competitors at Perry asked the
Pistol Committee to improve on the long
waits between relays at the nationals, so
the committee adopted the idea for 1979,
of shooting one 900 aggregate before
leaving the line. I can't see any disadvantage to this system as far as Perry
weather is concerned, I have seen a 20
degree drop in temperature and 20 mph
wind increase before a rapid fire relay
could get through. Many places shoot a
2700 in one day with few breaks and I
personally like shoting a full 150 shot
combat aggregate before leaving the line.
I like the same weather conditions, same
level of physical reserve and mental outAMERICAN HANDGUNNER • MAY/JUNE 1979
look that comes with beginning and
finishing an aggregate without interruption.
NRA pistol and range committees are
studying ways to improve toxic gas control and noise in indoor ranges, two hazards closing some ranges around the
country. I wish Florida had more indoor
ranges, I think we have 3, but there are
many cold, windy, rainy days when
shooting outdoors in Florida is a farce
... ask the Mid-Winter Matches shooter. Indoor ranges could attract families
shooting at night also. I fired on one of
the Quantico indoor ranges last fall and it
is beautiful, good lighting, excellent ventilation and electric target carriers to
bring the targets back where the spectators can enjoy the sport. Earlier in May,
I fired a combat regional at the indoor
Secret Service range in Beltsville, Maryland, q.hd thought what a shame that such
ranges are not made available to we taxpayers more often. More public use of
these ranges built with our tax dollars
should be looked into higher up in the
government structure. No one is more
cooperative than military or government
agency shooters, but their authority on
range use is limited.
NRA's Education and Training Committee is working on Security Firearms
Training and arrangements may be made
for use of more range facilities to train
these guards. I am glad the NRA is not
overlooking this growing big business. I
think it will continue to grow and have
need for more experienced firearms experts. There are just not enough public
law enforcement officers to be everywhere people want them, so private security is booming. I recently received
certification from Virginia to teach firearms training to security guards while I
spend my vacations there. The amount
of training for these guards still may be
not adequate but is improving and will
get better with NRA know-how. However, and I voted for it, the LEA Committee wants security training kept separate from the current NRA Police Training Section and has asked that the staff in
that section not be used for security
guard training. The committee thinks
NRA's first duty with that staff is to public law enforcement. There will be 16
NRA Police Firearms Instructors
Schools in 1979. Seattle, Pocatello,
Donelson, Tenn., and Petersburg, Va.
will have schools in May and June.
I will be attending two committee
meetings before the next column, Women's Policies and the LEA, the latter to
discuss rules for automatics in NRA
matches, should have some news after
that for you. Meanwhile, let your representative in NRA know what you want
and what you think. You make a difference. Hope to see many of you in San
Antonio, May 18-22 for the Annual
Meetings.
Lucy
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44 cal. 215gr - 25.00/1000
38 cal. 141gr WC - 16.00/1000
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150gr SWC - 16.00/1000
45 cal. 185gr - 19.00/1000
168gr SWC - 16.00/1000
200gr - 19.00/1000
41 mag. 225gr SWC - 27.00/1000
230gr - 27.00/1000
DISCOUNTS
10,000 - 24,000 Less 5%
25,000 - Over Less 10%
Orders Over $350.00 Shipped Prepaid
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65
"COMBAT SHOOTERS"
-:CUSTOM COMBAT HANDGUNS BUILTSpecializing in tuning COLT MK. IV Series 70.45 ACP's for
PRACTICAL PISTOL SHOOTI NG
Offering such work as.... CUSTOM SIGHTS, EXTENDED COMBAT SAFETYS,
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For complete brochure of custom work & access., send 2-15c stamps.to:
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101-103 Public Square
Ph. 501-423-2982
HOLSTERS OF QUALITY
Dept.
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Berryville, Ark. 72616
by belt slide, inc.
Box 15303 Austin, TX
(Send for Free Brochure)
78761
Model 10 For
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Black or Brown
Pin $11 95 Basket $13 95
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Designed for large calibers
Perfect fit for two hand shooters
Available in left or right hand. please specify
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Send Check or M.O.
Bankamericard or Master Charge. $1.50 postage.
Please give expo date and number on bank cards.
Fits over S & Wmodel 13 front sight without altering
and orange insert front; Micro barrel
bushing and match barrel link; barrel
ramped for wadcutters; lowered ejection
port; beveled magazine well; ambidextrous safety; left-handed extended combat slide release; combat large head
magazine release; Pachmayr combat
rubber grips and mainspring housing;
long match trigger fitted to the gun; stainless steel recoil buffer; back of slide serrated; and master blue finish. The result
is a highly attractive weapon that is accurate with total combat reliability.
Bill's Hi-Power work is similar to his
.45 combat offerings. He does, however,
offer excellent trigger work on the
Browning 9mm unlike most Browning
builders. He accomplishes this by tightening the slide, shortening the trigger reconnect distance, and honing all contact
points. Most Browning "trigger jobs"
consist of removing the magazine safety
and little else. Bill has found the Browning to produce sufficient combat accuracy without the Bar Sto stainless barrel,
but will provide and fit the barrel for
those who require match grade accuracy
from the 9mm.
Another area where Bill's talent is evident is in the area of big bore revolver
conversions on the S&W N frame. He
Nebraska Gunsmith's
Specialty ... Combat
and Target Autos and
N-Frame Revolver
Conversions
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SEMI-FLAP STYLE
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Covers Sight and Hammer, Plain or
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BO-MAR SIGHTING SYSTEMS
Department AH, Carthage, Texas 75633
66
(Continuedfrom page 35)
Box 704 - AH Twin Falls, Idaho 83301
TROOPER
ON PATROL
A New Concept in
Service Weaponry
BO-MAR
CUSTOM SHOP
-------
can provide them in a variety of calibers,
but the two most popular are the .44
Special and .45 ACP_ He rebores the cylinder to the new caliber, and can either
install a new S&W barrel (in .45 ACP
only) or install a custom Douglas barrel
with solid rib and ramp. He can further
provide an ejector shroud and custom
contour the barrel. His double and single
action trigger pulls are superb, with trigger stops provided if desired. The end
result is an accurate big bore revolver
with the quality reminiscent of long ago.
As mentioned earlier, Bill can work on
a wide variety of handguns. He specializes in custom modifications for
handicapped shooters, and is an authorized Colt warranty center. For prices
and other information, contact Bill at
The Cylinder & Slide Shop, 523 N. Main,
Fremont, Nebraska
68025.
~
IIIIIIM-
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
MAYIJUNE 1979
EASONS!
For the
NEW
CONTENDER
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FOR OUR
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Read the specifics. Learn how one hunting
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Featuring a 14" Bull Barrel, Beavertail Forend, Special
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performance is all about!
THOMPSON/CENTER ARMS I
Farmington Road, Dept. TAH 5
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Rochester, New Hampshire 03867
.... _---------------",
I
HISTORY OF
SMITH 8r. WESSON
by Roy G. Jinks
Presented for the first time are facts,
production information, and data on variations
and modifications of all post-1945 SMITH &
WESSON firearms, information necessary to every
S & W gun collector. Written by SMITH &
WESSON authority Roy G. Jinks, this all ne'w
book carefully details the evolution of the company
and step-by-step, describes the development of
each of their firearms from 1852 through and
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KEN HALE (AH-I00),
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Reliance Bullets, Box 2128H, Peabody, Mass. 01960.
MAUSER MILITARY PISTOL LEATHER HARNESS.
Carries pistol and holster stock over shoulder, VG, $10.
Excellent, $12. Unused, $14. Postpaid. Lane (AHG), 6832
Sulz-Rothis, Austria.
Royal Bengal Tiger Rug 10 ft. Original owner. Perfect
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Your S&W M-28 Converted to 45 Colt, 44 Mag, Spl., 44/40,
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MISCELLANEOUS
BEER CAN MORTAR. Complete information and detailed
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yards. Information on bursting projectiles included. Send
$4.00. Pioneer Industries, Box 36, 14A Hughey St.,
Mashua, NH 03061.
FIRECRACKERS, GUNS, BLASTING from common materials. Facts $2.00. Sanford, Box 4175-AH, Colesville, MD
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CUSTOM EMBROIDERED EMBLEMS, your design, low
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booklet. Emblems, Dept. 93, Littleton, NH 03561.
FIREWORKS MAKE YOUR OWN ROCKETS, M80's,
FOUNTAINS, MANY MORE. EASY INSTRUCTIONS
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ATTENTION GUN CLUBS, SHORTRUN CUSTOM
BUCKLES WITH YOUR LOGO MY SPECIALTY. SOLID
SANDCAST SILICON BRONZE BUCKLES ALL
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FIREWORKS Catalog chock full of super items! Fuse. Send
$1.00 (refundable) to Apogee, Box 5618-H. Chicago, IL
60680.
I~LiGHTWEiGHrR;;;;I~~1
45 FRAMES $50
I GlIII.iiLJ 'IIHHHHH-##I¥
I
I STAINLESS STEEL CLEANING BRUSHES $1.00 ea.
I
Dealers
OAKS WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS I
I send
large
954 Florida Ave, Rockledge. FL 32955
SSAE 10
1305·636·3376
J
L
f>
-----------
SHOOT
WITH
RAY
FORMER WORLD
PRACTICAL PISTOL
COMPETITION
CHAMPION
Ray Chapman. former World Practical
(Combat) Pistol Champion is providing
courses of instruction in pistol craft and
competitive techniques at his modern range
facilities in Columbia. Missouri.
AVAILABLE COURSES
FAMILIARIZATION BASIC
INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED
QUARTERLY cumulative handgun article index-abstract
from 18 gun magazines. $3 yearly. MERC, Box 13087
Spokane, WA 99213.
~\~~sPf~~~Bi~ckb~s~~~~~asR~~~aCa~~I~~~c~~:~:1a~ed
chemical service. For catalog send $1.00 to Pioneer Ind.,
Box 36, 14A Hughey St., Nashua, N.H. 03061.
These special courses are being taught
on the Safe and Effective Use of Handguns and the CHAPMAN METHODS for
Competition. For information Write:
Back issues of AMERICAN HANDGUNNER wanted: Vol.
1, #1, Vol. 2, #1. FLYNN, 3237 Harvey Pk. Pky., Ok·
lahoma City, OK 73118.
REMEMBER THE OLD ASH CANS. M80 etc? Complete
detailed instructions on above and many others. Send
$3.00 to: Pioneer Ind., Box 36, 14A Hughey St., Nashua,
NH 03061.
RAY CHAPMAN ACADEMY
RARE, SCARCE, OUT·OF-PRINT BOOKS ON FIREARMS, EDGED WEAPONS, HUNTING, FISHING.
CATALOG $1.00 REFUNDED. MELVIN MARCHER, 6204
N. VERMONT, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112.
INTELLIGENCE LETTER - ESPIONAGE, ASSASSI·
NATION, MERCENARIES, KARATE. SAMPLE - $1.00
OR $9/12 ISSUES. HORIZONN, BOX 67, ST. CHARLES,
MO 63301.
PYROTECHNICAL: NOW AT LAST, detailed construc-
609 E. Broadway
Columbia. Mo., 65201
69
IlllNI)I.. I~ "11'1'11 (~lllll~:
Old Style Single-Action Revolvers
Limitations on Use:
single~action revolver with a
loaded chamber under the firing pin may discharge if accidentally dropped or struck
on the hammer.
2. The safety notch in the hammer provides only limited protection against accidental
blows to the hammer or accidental pulling of the trigger.
3. Ever since the introduction of the famous "Peacemaker" single-action revolver over
100 years ago, it has been generally known that the safest way to carry such revolvers
is to load no more than five cartridges and to keep an empty chamber under the firing
pin.
1. Regardless of the position of its hammer, an old. style
Exceptions:
1. Although many are still in use, we discontinued our old model single-action revolvers
in 1973 when we introduced our history-making, patented "New Model" revolvers.
The internal mechanism of our New Model single-action revolvers is entirely new and
is not subject to the limitations on use listed above for the old model. Both models
look alike, but the New Model has the words "NEW MODEL" marked on the frame
and has only two visible pins in the side of the frame instead of three screws as in the
old model.
2. Some of the other brands of old style single-action revolvers, particularly those of
foreign manufacture, have added various manual "safeties" which mayor may not be
reliable. Even if it functions properly, a manual safety device is no safer than the
person using it. It is useless if it is not used, or if it is used improperly by mistake.
Why Are We Telling Y ou This?
In the last few years, people are apparently becoming more willing to handle firearms, including
Ruger single-action revolvers, without first receiving proper instruction from a knowledgeable
shooter. No one should handle any gun without first having supervised instruction about the
particular type of gun he is using, as well as about gun safety in general. Until very recently
everyone, gun users and non-users alike, seemed to be well aware of this obvious rule, and accidents
with single-action revolvers, as well as with other types of guns, were limited to those very occasional
lapses of common sense against which, unfortunately, there appears to be no real protection. Now,
with the growth of consumerism, people who should know better are acting as though guns, like
electric toasters, are meant to be foolproof. There is no such thing as a foolproof gun.
FREE CATALOGS ANO INSTRUCTION MANUALS WHICH CONTAIN APPROPRIATE WARNINGS ANO AOVICE FOR THE
USE OF ALL MOOELS OF RUGER FIREARMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE FACTORY ON REQUEST.
\9
•
70
®
STURM~
RUGER & ~ompany~ Ine.
6 Lacey Place
Southport~ Connecticut 06490 U.S.A.
ALL RUGER FIREARMS ARE OESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN RUGER FACTORIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

American Handgunner May/June 1979

Transcription

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